Skirmish
by Lostinfantasy9918
Summary: The long awaited sequel to DRAGONEYE. Following the events to DragonEye, Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane both face new challenges as Lex Luthor is now raising his game to a whole new level.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

He stopped to refuel his motorcycle: he loved traveling with his motorcycle, a pleasure he had during his teenage years but due to circumstances of life, for long time he wasn't able to continue his rides.

But a few months ago, there was a dramatic change in his life: he was "murdered" by someone who was once his best friend but afterward, the man became his greatest enemy. He survived the ambush conceived by his nemesis but the scenario didn't allow him to return to his normal life, not when the lives of everyone close to him were at stake: their jobs, their homes…everything.

For some time, he kept his survival, a secret to almost everyone except for his all time friend who he called for his help: after the funeral, he told his secret to his parents and the woman he loved and no matter how much he wished to stay close to them, he knew, it was a risk. Eventually he said "goodbye" to his closest ones, better yet, an "I'll see you soon", a promise he made to his soul mate.

Then, he set course to North, traveling erratically, ending up to his second home: the so called "Fortress of Solitude". This was a place his biological father called his true home although he never called it like that: the recreation of a lost, doomed and extinct civilization from where he was the last son, was in fact, a place lifeless, loneliness, coldness, without the essential attributes it required so that he would call it a home.

Sometimes he would rise higher than the clouds and stopped, floating, closing his eyes and focused his hearing, to hear what the world was saying to him.

For months, he worked 24/7 as the world's greatest hero, a sentinel, a guardian angel providing the help the world needed but as time passed by, the loneliness began talking to his soul: he began realizing it when he saved entire families during rescue operations as relatives were hugging each other, for the joy, the happiness; during the patrols he made through the sky of the big and small cities seeing people walking in the streets living their normal lives, something he deeply missed: above all, human touch. It was the human touch he needed from his friends, family and his lover but it was something he was deprived from. They were surrounded by eyes and hears, specially his lover. He was alone.

That's when his all time friend gave him a second chance, a fresh start, an opportunity to start a new normal life leading him to same point where he was standing at that moment: refueling his motorcycle in a self-service gas station in a route, outside Anchorage, Alaska.

He approached the attendant to pay for the gas.

"Excuse me but how far is it to Dillingham?" – The attendant suspiciously eyed him and then to his motorcycle. To the employee, that guy was probably just another trouble maker with an attitude problem, wearing black shirt, sunglasses and jeans.

"Well…" – The attendant continued eyeing him suspiciously. – "…that depends how you fast you're going…"

"Just an idea…" – he insisted.

"Well, you're close to Lake Clark…so I guess it will take about three/four hour non-stopping trip."

"Thank you…" – he smiled and turned around, heading to his motorcycle. He turned on the engine and immediately he left the gas station.

The employee headed to the road, watching the motorcycle already far away.

"Just an idea, my butt."

He arrived at Dillingam by nightfall just in time to grab a snack and installing at the only motel in the village. He spent the night there, the first night outside his fortress in months: he was excited enough for not going to sleep and gaining insomnia for that matter.

Seconds became minutes and minutes became hours and soon it was morning: he got up, took his shower and he got dressed: after that he was ready to exit but he stopped, looking himself at the mirror. The suit, the tie brought memories of the mild-mannered reporter and looking closer he remembered something was missing: he went back and from his small luggage, he took a small box and opened. He headed to the mirror and slowly he put his glasses. For a few seconds, he contemplated himself and he realized he had reborn. After that, he exited his room and he took his breakfast at the only coffeehouse of the place and then headed for the one school of the village where they were already expecting.

He arrived two minutes later: one of the advantages of living in a small village was that everything was in proximity. A pre-fabricated structure was called the school where the assistant was expecting him. He ran to her and smiled nervously. – "Good morning, I'm…"

"Professor, this way…" – she indicated the way without even making any questions, guiding him across the corridors to one room where a group of kids were sitting, waiting for their professor.

Before she opened the door, the assistant looked at him. - "Good luck professor." - The assistant opened the door and he followed her, stopping at her side, facing then the small group of kids who were about to become his students.

"Kids, meet your new professor: Professor Charles King."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 1

**Title**: Skirmish  
><strong>Author<strong>: Hélio Rei  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: Smallville, Comics, Superman, etc.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I own nothing.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Content CLois of course but not only Clois.  
><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: This is the **SEQUEL** to **Dragon Eye.** So it's an advice that you read Dragon Eye first, although it's not totally necessary.

Chapter 1:

Smallville, October 2016

She hated graveyards, funerals and any kind of these ceremonies: she knew it was the last tribute to the dead loved ones but still she hated. It was the first time she stepped that cemetery since Clark's and Chloe's funeral: life wasn't kind for Lois Lane. She lost her mother when she was only five years old; her sister was living a life of crime and her cousin was dead to the world and she was unable to pay her a visit and the same was happening to the man she loved: Clark Kent, mild-mannered citizen and one of the most promising reporters of his generation was too in the same circumstances as Chloe.

She was standing in front of that tombstone, looking sadly at it: she closed her eyes knowing that everything was a lie, something fabricated. Unfortunately, she knew too, she had to live in this lie.

"If you can hear me…It's been a long time..." – she finally spoke, starting a monologue, a confession – "…You know how I feel about graveyards…" – her emotions were coming to surface and tears filled her eyes and she began crying. – "…I miss you…". After a few moments she finally wiped her tears and controlled herself. The sorrow, the sadness were replace now by the desire of vengeance, justice, hate for the one who "killed" him.

"I swear I'll bring that maniac down…"- she spoke resolute: suddenly, a cold wind started as the first leafs began falling from the trees almost telling her to get out of there.

"I guess, I'll say goodbye…for now." – she stated as she looked to the sky.

She went back to the Kent farm where was spending some days of vacation: the first ones since the funeral. After the funeral, she discovered Clark Kent and Superman were the same and one person and a promise had been made: Sometime in the future, she and Clark could be together again, as soon as Luthor would go down but that scenario was presently more improbable than ever.

Luthor was more powerful and she couldn't find any rots about him and her moves were being watched: a sort of a Big Brother stepped in her life. At first, she thought she was being paranoid but then she noticed the little things and there wasn't much she could do when she was being watched, probably, 24/7.

As an excuse, she drowned herself into work: she became workaholic, always searching for a story, always alone so that she was always busy and above all, creating opportunities to be with her guardian angel.

Every rescue, every crime fighting scene, everything that could be related to Superman, she was there: it was the only time she could spend with him but she had to share with the people of Metropolis, share with the rest of the world.

Her job was risky but selfishly she pushed further into danger because she knew it was an opportunity for him to show up and spend some time with him even if she was being watched.

These actions drove him crazy, giving her a lecture every time she did it but she felt, in spite of all the frustration and anxiety he was feeling at the same time, a sensation of warmth and happiness for the few moments they could spend together.

Unfortunately, those few moments were becoming rarer as both noticed there had eyes and hears everywhere.

She became so isolated from the world that her colleagues began to worry about her condition; Cat, Jimmy and even Perry tried somehow to reach her but in vain. One day, while she was in her apartment, she received a visit: she ordered a pizza while writing her latest article and then the doorbell rang. Hoping it was her dinner; she prepared the money and went to the door but an unexpected surprise came as she opened the door: Martha Kent.

Martha knew from Perry, Lois's behavior and so, Martha decided to come to Metropolis to check Lois: They stood there looking at each other before Lois threw herself in Martha's arms, crying.

If there was any woman who could comprehend her, Martha Kent was the one. It was the first of many visits that Martha did: it was in the last visit that Martha invited Lois to spend a few days at the farm.

Still recalling her memory, Lois arrived at the farm minutes later: she stepped out of the car, seeing the Kents working hard at the chores. She had always admired them but since "Clark's departure", she admired them even more, questioning herself how they managed to survive to their only son's "death" and run the farm.

Of course, the omnipresence of the "angel" was noticed and the farm's work wasn't far behind scheduled but due to her presence and the fact she was always being watched, he couldn't show up as regularly as he could without her being around.

Lois waved at them before she entered the house. She headed the Clark's old room where she was sleeping in these last few days and began packing her clothes in her baggage. Then she picked her baggage and exited the bedroom not before talking a last good look at that room: the Kents never changed the room and it was the place where she would most feel Clark's presence. She headed for the living room and at the house front door; she eyed the entire room before something caught her attention: some photos of the Kent family.

She put her baggage on the floor and walked straight to those photos: she looked at the photos and grabbed one in particular. One which had Clark alone smiling: it was the first photo she saw which Clark wore his glasses. There was something about those glasses: it gave him a distinguished look, far different from the country Clark she met for the first time, years ago.

"You can take it if you want to." – Lois turned around to see Martha smiling at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean…" – Lois spoke, embarrassed.

"It's ok…"- Martha stepped forward: she looked at the photo which Lois was holding in her hand and smiled recalling her memory.

"Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, two years ago: Clark was covering the biggest Carnival on Earth and with the money he won from his first front page article on "Time" magazine, he offered me and Jonathan the trip there. A gift, he said when we arrived at the airport. We had wonderful times there." – Both looked at the photo and then Martha looked at Lois.

"Take it. It's yours."- Martha stated.

"I can't accept it..." – Lois quickly responded.

Martha handled the photo to Lois, closing Lois's hand with the photo. – "I've plenty already." – Martha stated with a soft tone in her voice.

"Thanks" – Lois smiled weakly. They hugged, strongly.

"How I wished things were different." – Martha declared.

"So do I. So do I." – Lois also declared, emotional.

Martha helped Lois with her baggage to put in her car. After that, Lois hugged the Kents.

"Thank you." – She spoke, smiling at them.

"You're welcome in this house anytime Lois." – Jonathan spoke.

Lois entered in her car and headed back to Metropolis, back to her place, her home. Next day, she resumed her routine heading to the Daily Planet: she ate her breakfast like always in the closest Starbucks to the Planet before she entered the newsroom.

The Daily Planet was no longer the place, Lois considered her second home. The acquisition of the Daily Planet by LexCorp made heavy "casualties": the first and almost immediately casualty was Perry White who as soon as he knew who the new owner was, delivered personally his resignation to Lex Luthor. As for the rest of crew, good part went away like Cat Grant or Troupe and only a few stayed like Jimmy Olsen.

"Good morning, Jimmy." – She stated as she rested her suitcase in her desk.

"Good morning Lois…." – he barely paid attention and it took a few seconds to realize Lois's presence. – "Hey, how was your vacation?"

"Refreshing to say the least….." – She replied, amused. - "So what have I miss?" – She inquired curious: two weeks away from the city, away from the stress, away from that life style.

"What's to say? Castle is still the same pain in the butt…as always…Superman saves the day…you know…the usual stuff…" – Jimmy didn't finish his sentence because the door of the chief editor opened violently revealing a raged editor.

Karen Castle was the woman who replaced Perry who presented his resignation immediately after the official announcement of the Daily Planet's acquisition by LexCorp: with Perry's resignation, the way was a free and have that job, it required one major element: Lex Luthor's approval and Karen Castle being a complete suck-up for Luthor, it's unnecessary to say, it was a easy win for Karen Castle.

Lois heard rumors about Karen Castle's straight to the top career she had in the world of journalism: started in the Metropolis Journal, her career suffered a sudden boost when she wrote an article about Lex Luthor, months after his arrival on Smallville, years ago. Immediately, she became the managing editor of the Metropolis Journal and Perry White resigned, she took his job at the biggest newspaper of Metropolis.

Like always, she was yelling at everyone, treating everyone like garbage and soon realized Lois's presence.

"Well, look who's back? "Mad Dog" Lane… Are you sure you're not going to bite today?…" – Immediately Jimmy stepped behind leaving Lois and Karen facing each other.

"Karen, is it?" – She ironically asked. She stepped forward. – "I know your name Karen, I'm just being condescend. Listen Karen, I'm here on my first day after my two week vacation and I really don't to hear your self-affirmation quotes and even anything remotely linked to you, ok? So scram!"

"Lois you b…"

"Lois! A robbery at downtown!" – Jimmy yelled and immediately Lois picked her P.D.A and with Jimmy, both headed for downtown leaving Castle alone protesting as they entered the elevator.

"Saved by the bell…sort of…Thanks Jimmy, you're a life saver."

"Anytime…" - Jimmy smiled.

It took a while for Lois and Jimmy to arrive at the crime scene: big city with traffic problems and a robbery and Superman left any city with even bigger traffic problems.

Once they got there, the thieves were already stopped and Superman was making his statement for the Metropolis P.D. Instantaneously, Lois ran in his direction: she knew it was one of those rare moments in which she could talk with him without raising any sort of suspicion but she stopped at the police barrier.

"Superman! Superman!"- She yelled and waved frantically: he looked at her almost hypnotizing her. Slowly, he walked to her and the battalion of eager journalists waiting for a few statements from the Man of Steel.

Once he approached the "battalion", everyone was began asking questions and a cacophony of sounds began spreading in his direction only stopping when he gestured the journalists to calm down. As the journalists calmed, Lois took the advantage.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet…"

"Yes Lois, I know who you are…"- He tried to restrain himself but he couldn't help smiling at her tenacious ways to get an exclusive, to be the first to ask a question: it was one of many things made

"Care to make a statement about the robbery?"

For a few moments, he fixedly looked at her and saw the spark in her eyes, the excitement and the joy of having him near her but he snapped out of his thoughts and made his statement about how he stopped the thieves and no one got injured.

Her attention was solely focused on him, in his words: as he declared his statement, she was happy to be there, near him even if she had to share him with the rest of the world. Those rare moments that she could be around him were precious. It was true, an old saying: You only appreciate things when you don't have them anymore.

It wasn't exactly the same thing but she began to cherish every single moment when he was around.

He finished his statement and looked up to the sky: by then, everyone knew it was his goodbye sign only to show up when trouble appear.

She whispered "I love you" and noticed a slightly hesitation from him to take off and realized he received the message as he, once again, smiled and then, almost instantly, he was up, up and away.

Some things never change and as he flew away, the cacophony restarted but some things do change and now the cell phones, the P.D.A replaced the races to the nearest phone booth.

Like always, Lois was able to send her report to the Daily Planet by email, surpassing the competition: she was one of the reasons why the Daily Planet was still one of the top newspapers in the country even if now, it was considered to be a Luthor's propaganda.

Her work was done: it was time for her friends.

"Jimmy, I've sent my story to the Planet. You have your pictures, right?"

"Yeah sure…" – Jimmy replied, flatly.

"Go the Planet and work your pictures with Castle. I've to see an old friend".

She said goodbye to her colleague and resumed to her car and drove out of Metropolis downtown and headed to her old friend's place.

After a long trip, she arrives at the spot: The grey building reflected a certain depression, an undeniable constant of that city's suburbia.

At the door, she pressed the door bell and after a few moments, the door opened and an old man staring at her.

"Hey Lois…" – he greeted her, numbly. He turned around and headed to the living room where he sat on his couch and began drinking.

She entered and saw nothing new: like in he previous visits, the house was in a complete mess, turned upside down as if a tornado passed right through it.

"C'mon Perry are you going to stay in this hell hole for the rest for your life?" – She asked as she continued looking around, seeing chaos spread across the room.

"Well this hell hole is the only thing I can afford to…" – he quickly replied, with his eyes focused on the T.V screen.

She looked at him: he was no longer the vigorous man she once knew when she started working at the Planet but instead, he was just a shadow of what he used to be, a man defeated by his drinking, exiled from the world of journalism and too few friends to help him. Luthor's presence was everywhere.

"Are you going to stay like this forever?" – Lois asked perplexed. Perry didn't answer her question and Lois continued.

"Are you going to let Lex to get away unpunished for what he did? We're journalists Perry! People need to know the truth…"

Instantly, Perry looked at Lois so fixedly that Lois became silent. He got up and approached her.

"Do you want to know the truth? To expose it? I'll tell you what is the truth…Truth is, there are two reporters dead, friends, both mine and yours, some of the Daily Planet staff were fired and I can't get a job anywhere. Those are the facts Lois! That's the hard truth… So if I don't want to end up in a body bag, I advise you quit investigating Luthor." – He passed by her and headed to the door which he opened.

"Have a good day, Lane". – He left the door opened and moved to his kitchen to grab another beer.

She shook her head, somehow disappointed: she knew the truth but there weren't any evidence. Every direction lead to a dead end and it seemed impossible to find anything about Luthor. Chloe found something but almost died trying to dig in Luthor's dirt and then, Chloe was living in obscurity.

At snail's pace, she left her friend's place: she headed home. The chaotic traffic delayed her and it took a while longer to arrive home, to throw her shoes to the couch, to order a pizza and watching comfortably in her sofa, her favorite soap opera.

As she was stuck in traffic, she thought about Perry and everything around her: how everything had gotten worse because of Luthor, a cancer in everyone's life, spreading across the body unnoticed and when it was finally noticed, it was already too late to do anything.

She arrived at her apartment after a long and miserable trip and the thoughts of having a quiet and peaceful disappeared as she opened the door and realized someone was already installed in her couch.

"Hello Lois." – It was night and she didn't recognize the person right away but his voice left her without a doubt.

"Hi, daddy…" – she headed to the kitchen not even slightly thrilled of having her father visiting her. Their relationship had always been difficult but as time passed by; their differences pushed them further and further apart. She opened the freezer and grabbed a pizza and putted on the microwave.

"So, what do I own the honor of your presence?"- she looked at her father, slightly mocking him, showing a ironic smile but soon her smile faded: her father was always that kind of man who had a serious expression but this time she could sense it was something far more serious.

"Superman." – He replied after a few moments of quietness, leaving Lois uneasy.

"What about him?" – she asked almost assuming a defensive tone.

" Leave him." – His tone voice felt more like an order than an advice. He saw her surprise at his request and continued. – "I know you two are good friends but I'm ordering you to stay away from him."

"Well, last time I checked, I'm an adult, I don't live in your house, …thank God for that… and we live in a democracy and so I'll stick around for Superman anytime." – Their relationship had always been complicated and she would always challenge his actions.

The General looked at her and he closed his eyes for a minute. Then he looked at her again, and resolute he declared: - "Stay away from him. This is my final warning." – He got up and headed for the exit without ever looking back leaving Lois completely unease.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Six months after his arrival to that far corner of the U.S, he began to adapt to that lifestyle:

Dillingham was basically, a fishing commercial city who had lived better days but it was everything he ever need: small city where he could live peacefully without people trying to find much about his past much like Smallville but instead of hurricanes, farms, cows and tractors, it had snow storms, industrial plants, fish and sailing boats.

This city was exactly what he needed: a new life around people, an undeniable feeling of companionship, interacting with people, all of that, was the essence of being human, something he desperately needed to feel even his heritage kept remembering him, otherwise.

Like any ordinary afternoon, he was doing his work as a teacher at a local school: he preferred to work as a reporter but big news in that far region of the world, aren't available everyday and his exposition would far greater than as a teacher. Instead, he educated the young minds, preparing them for the world of tomorrow: big exclusives were substituted by words, lectures of truth and justice, capturing the young minds' attention.

His main channel for news was of course, the internet and specifically the website of the Daily Planet where the latest news were posted: when he was a reporter, he was being kept updated out the latest news, like robberies, terrorists acts, etc…but now in a desolated area like he was living, the best channel of information was the internet.

The portable was standing in his desk being constantly updated by the latest news, everything that would require his help: he was correcting some exams in his small office where the heat equipment was turn on, not because he needed but to not raise any suspicions.

His attention was always divided between two separate scenarios: the exams and the several information websites.

While correcting some exams, he heard someone knocking on his office door.

"Professor King?" – A female voice spoke, asking permission to enter.

"A minute, please." – Frantically, he searched for his glasses in his desk, finding them, moments after.

"Come in, Wilma" – He stated as he finally put his glasses.

"Excuse me Professor but I just had a call from Miss Lemari. She said it's important." – A woman entered, in her sixties, gently and kind, smiling at him.

"Did she say anything else?" –he inquired, curious.

"No, professor, she only said it was important. From her voice tone, I could sense anxiety."

Quickly, Clark shut down the computer and ran out of his office, into the corridor.

"Thank you Wilma!" – He spoke at the end of the corridor, still running.

"City folks…." – she confessed.

In a small city like Dillingham, distances are always short, especially when it comes to a man who has abilities beyond mortal men and in a matter of a few minutes he was standing in front of her house. The door was slightly open. He pushed the door, knocking it gently.

"Hello? Lori?" – He asked at normal tone voice and shortly after, he heard a scream. Instinctively, he ran at super-speed, somehow thinking she was in trouble: he found her but to his surprise, everything was ok.

She was jumping, ecstatic with a single picture appearing on her screen.

"Lori?"- He asked, still confused. Again she jumped but this time, it was for another reason.

"Charlie! Are you trying to kill me, here?" – She looked at him, completely perplexed, astonished looking at her. – "Nevermind…" she "dragged" him to get him closer to the screen. "Here, take a closer look."

After a brief analysis, he looked at her. – "Is it possible?"

She waved positively. – "Isn't this great?" – He was about to reply but Lori was too excited to let him even talk. – "I mean…this is excellent! Unbelievable, I thought the species were extinct…"

"And they were about to but I managed to save them from mankind..." – A male voice interrupted Lori. She turned around to see the man who was behind her, who caught her by surprise.

"A.C?" – She was astonished to see her old friend standing there. – "Oh my God!" – She hugged him. –"Where have been you?"

"Swimming around…"- Curious, Arthur looked at the man who was standing in front of him but he could only see the man's back. –"Aren't you going to introduce to your friend?"

Lori noticed her friend's behavior: he was always nice to people but this time, there was something wrong. She could feel it but she decided to ignore it.

"Hey Charile...This is Arthur Curry but everyone calls him A.C. A.C, this is Charles King: He is a teacher who's helping me to develop my work. But I call him Charlie." – As Charlie turned around, Arthur's face changed from an amused expression to a mixture of surprise and anger.

Charlie extended his hand hoping his old friend would play along like if it was the first time they met.

"Someone said: It's a small world and whoever said it, is absolutely right. After all, two thirds of the planet is covered with water." – Arthur spoke with an icy tone which Lori immediately noticed.

"I'm sorry?"- Charlie tried to act confused but as time went by, his hopes were ruined.

"Have you two met before?" – Lori asked, somehow concerned about the sudden temper around those two.

"No, we haven't."- Charlie quickly declared.

"Memory's wipe? From what I've heard, it isn't something new…" – Arthur remarked sarcastically.

"I know when I'm too much around here. Excuse me Lori…" – Charlie began walking and when he was passing by Arthur, Arthur grabbed him by his arm. Charlie looked at him and whispered to Arthur so that Lori couldn't hear.

"Remember, you aren't in the sea…" – Slowly, Arthur let go Charlie's arm and again Charlie restarted his walk.

"Charlie wait…" –Lori pleaded but Charlie continued but soon he stopped once again.

"I wonder how Lois feels about this". – Arthur turned around to see Charlie's reaction. He closed his fists, controlling his sudden anger towards Arthur. Arthur didn't know the sacrifices he had to do: his life, his love, he had to leave everything behind so could everyone live a life of peace.

Slowly, he controlled his anger and resumed his path outside Lori's house. Lori approached her friend Arthur and confronted him.

"What the hell was this about?" – At her friend's question, Arthur looked at Lori, unbendable.

"Go ask him. He's the one with the explaining to do." – He turned around and just like Charlie, he left Lori's house, leaving Lori all alone and intrigued about Charlie's past.

He retreated to his house and stood there for a couple of hours thinking about his last encounter with his past: Arthur Curry. They had encountered themselves a few times in their teenage years and each time, there was always confrontation but somehow they managed to pass the barriers: however this time was different. He was Superman and as Clark Kent, the reporter, he was "assassinated", courtesy of Lex Luthor and with the lack of evidence and the danger of the Daily Planet's closure, he was forced to live in exile. As for Arthur Curry, he was Aquaman, the King of Atlantis, an underwater civilization which was resurfacing again and its highest representative was demanding respect from mankind for the oceans, blaming mankind for all its evil done to the oceans and doing everything in his power to accomplish his gold even if it meant a war.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden message in his cell phone:

"Come and meet me at the Siegel's bar." – He estranged the message knowing who send it.

He went to the only bar which he used to go to meet from time to time with his old friend: Pete Ross. Congressman, he was one of the most promising young politicians and some people even predicted a White House scenario for this young politician but as he walked inside the bar, he just saw his old friend standing in front of him, waiting for him with a smile.

"Pete Ross…I've should know…"

"Professor King…" – they hugged, synonymy of the old times and the time they have missed, being together, to spend some time as friends like the old days.

"Go and sit on that table at the corner: I want to discuss something with you." - He noticed suddenly his friend's expression, shifting from the happiness to an expression of seriousness and some gravity. He sat at the table requested by his friend, soon joined by him when he came with some drinks.

"What's going on?" – He asked curious and somewhat concerned.

Pete opened his briefcase and grabbed a file and handled it to him. He opened the file and began reading it and he looked at his friend expecting an answer to his doubts.

"Superman Protocols?" – He asked confused.

"Yes, a series of established procedures to execute in case of Superman going rogue…This administration had been gathering several Intel about you…" – Pete lowered his head and whispered. – "…and the information gathered about you, has been treated and submitted into these Superman Protocols."

"How is this possible? I mean, I have been careful enough for to being followed, observed, etc…No one knows that I'm living, only you." – He stated, doubting his friend's affirmation.

"I didn't have full access to these protocols and what you see is basically the generic terms of the protocols, what they are and what they are meant to do but there is something you should know: your rescues." – Again he frowned at his friend affirmation and he definitely, he didn't like.

"What about them?" – He asked slightly confused.

"There is a possibility of some accidents in which the rescue operations you have participated, may not had been accidents…"

"What?" – He interrupted Pete, perplexed.

"Some of the "accidents" were possibly, induced events to draw your attention and study you carefully: it is the only plausible explanation to gather intelligence about you. You know what this means, right?" – Pete looked at his troubled friend: he knew what he was thinking.

"Luthor…" – he replied, already angered.

"You have to be extra careful: something is coming soon and it doesn't look good. Luthor's influence is bigger than ever and every member of the Administration is by his side. I don't know how he's done it but he has…"

He couldn't listen anymore Pete because he was only focused on the one man who had destroyed his life, twice. He was forced to live a live of exile, away from the people he loved, hidden from the world, only to appear as the world's greatest hero and that same existence as a hero was now in jeopardy, according to his friend.

Suddenly his attention was again to his friend as Pete shook him.

"Hey! I know how troubled you must be feeling right now but you have to be extra careful from now on. Luthor has eyes and ears everything and even now I'm risking your safety by being here but you had to be warned."

He looked at Pete, grateful. – "Thank you, my friend."

"You're welcome but I have to go. I'm required elsewhere and I can't stay any longer: I don't want to risk your life. Take the file and studied carefully: I've already a copy and so, you can keep this one. "

They got up and exited the coffee shop and headed to the small parking lot where Pete's car was. - "Good luck, pal. It seems you're going to need it." – Pete declared and they hugged.

"Thank you, for everything." – Clark valued his friend for everything he's done for him, from helping to escape Luthor's claws to getting a new identity.

After his friend left, he headed home, troubled, thinking about his life and all his friends, family and especially Lois: since his supposed death, he didn't have anytime with her, at least some time alone with her, only brief moments shared with dozens of reporters, each time he was in any rescue.

Several times he regretted the decision of self exile when emotion replaced logic, when the desire overpowered his sense of protection but in the end, he knew he made the right decision, even if it was costly.

He could see his house in front but he also could see there someone at the entrance: he could see right away who was…Lori. Earlier she was left by him with a series of doubts and questions needed to be answered.

He continued walking until he reached the house's entry and looked at her.

"We need to talk."- Lori declared.

"I agree." – He replied, flatly.

They both entered at the house and Lori sat at the couch while he walked to the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?" – He tried a small talk which Lori didn't answer back.

Soon he joined her at the living room with a cup of coffee and headed for the only window the living room had.

"Who are you?" – She questioned him when the silence was becoming unbearable.

"This is hard to explain…"

"I presume you're not the average school teacher…"

"My real name is Clark Kent and I used to be a reporter at the Daily Planet when there was an attempt to assassinate me but I've managed to escape." – Clark declared feeling relief to confess what he considered to be a burden, to pretend to be someone he wasn't.

"Ok…Ccclllaaark….so do you know who try to kill you?"

He looked at her, not even slightly amused by her irony but he couldn't blame her also: he kept it a secret from her, a friend he instantly he gained from the moment they met.

"Yes, I do… but I'm not going to reveal to you. It is for your own safety. I'm already revealing too much. It's better this way." - He turned around and began looking once again through the window.

She could sense the sudden sadness her friend was feeling: his eyes were saying a horrible truth and she couldn't do anything else than feel sorry for him a word exploded in her mind, an answer for his state of mind.

"Who's Lois?" – Her curiosity was stronger than her remorse for earlier comments.

Its mere pronunciation altered him and than, more ever, she realized the power of a woman she never met on a man she considered to be friend and in her deepest desire to be more than a friend.

She noticed him walking slowing like a convict in a death row, heading to the front door and he opened.

"I would like to be alone." – She had no choice but to respect him and so she left his apartment.

"I'm sorry." – She truly apologized before leaving the apartment.

He remained quiet and closed the door. He headed for the window where he stayed for a few minutes, just staring at the vast view the window had to offer, trying to find some comfort but he couldn't.

The recent discoveries made him unease and the place he once considered to be safe to begin a new life but now it was like every other place.

Something was telling him that all, all of his current life was going to end: it scared and so he decided to clear his mind and made his mind up and he flew away, rising above the clouds until he could see the entire continent. He stood there and focused his attention on the city he once considered to live his life: Metropolis.

Determined, he flew, heading for Metropolis until his feet were at the top of globe of the Daily Planet where he could see the entire city and above all, a place where he could see her: Lois.

He looked at her neighborhood and he could see cars, men and women, watching, guarding her, giving him no chance to approach her.

He stayed there just watching, wishing he could be with her, with any sort of restrictions, like any ordinary couple but destiny made it clear, it wasn't the time.

Lost in his thoughts, suddenly something capture his attention: she was now at window and like him she was just enjoying the view.

Next, he focused his vision and then he could see her face and the tenuous light from a near post emphasized her beauty. For moments, he looked at the moon, his silent companion for many hours and had an idea.

With his heat vision, he managed to create a small power cut at the closest power station, only to leave the entire block where she was living in almost darkness, only enlightened by the moonlight: Once almost faded, blocked by the almost blinding lights, the moonlight was clearly strong, showing its vigor.

He looked at her, searching, wanting for her reaction until she looked at the moon and saw a body with a cape almost blocking the moonlight.

He saw her smiling, looking at his direction: she realized his intention and still far away from her, he managed to hear her, whispering….repeating…

"I love you…

I love you…

I love you…"

Right then, He flew at super-speed by her neighborhood and flew away, somehow comforted by her words, hoping for a better tomorrow.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 3

**LoisNClark4Ever and imhooked: Thanks for your kind reviews**.

Chapter 3:

Her relationship with her father was anything but peaceful: the death of her mother managed to distance them, and their relationship father and daughter transformed into a military chain of command where one soldier had to report to his superior but soon she developed a problem with authority.

A teenage rebellion was transformed into a clash of titans between the two Lanes which pull them even further: runaways, smoking, yellings among others and in spite of everything, there was still, at least, one thing they had for each other: respect.

And because of that, she remembered his last words form their last encounter:

"…_Stay away from him. This is my final warning."_

The teenage rebellion phase was long gone and they managed to surpass some difficulties but her father's words left her unease but also curious.

They barely spoke each other but when they did, it was anything but small talk: this time, it was like others, it had a purpose and he made it clear.

If there is a common aspect in journalism's world, it's curiosity. Being a reporter, Lois soon tried an entrance at the Pentagon using her contacts but she had to be creative: followed, almost by the minute, a sort of "Big Brother" followed her everywhere and so she had to somehow, lost those who followed her.

Using a device to scramble the sign of her cell phone, she managed to get a clear pass to the Pentagon from one of her trustful contacts who owned her a favour: all of she had to do was to get rid of the "Big Brother", even for a few hours.

Her first step was to get an excuse to get out of Metropolis without raising any sort of suspicions. Currently working on an illegal immigration story with fake ID and others, gave her not only the perfect excuse to get out of Metropolis but also the means to get a ticket plane with other identity.

Still she had to somehow, disappear from the "Big Brother". Nevertheless, she had to get some help and there was only one person she could trust.

Just when he was passing by her, she called him.

"Hey Jimmy…" – he stopped and looked at her.

"Yeah, Lois?"

"Could you do me a favour?" – She asked with eyes wide open, eager to his favourable reply.

"Another one?" – Her expression shifted from expectation to annoyance.

" Fine! I'll do it." - Seeing her annoyance, Jimmy submitted to her request. – "What is it?"

Her expression again changed, now showing a discreet smile. – "I need you to go to this address and pick up my package."

"Ok, I'll pick up in a couple of hours…"

"Jimmy…"- she interrupted and he stared at her. – "A.S.A.P" – she replied.

"You mean, like now?" – He inquired, surprised by her sudden demand.

"Yeah…"

"What about Karen Castle?" – He asked while looking at the editor's office.

"Don't worry. I'll think of something."- She quickly answered. – "Go!" – She told Jimmy while watching him so undecided.

Resigned, Jimmy let the floor, looking at the address where he would pick up Lois's package.

Anxiously she waited for Jimmy's return and managed to make an excuse to the chief editor, Karen Castle, about Jimmy's sudden absence. Minutes became hours and while she waited for Jimmy, she thought of a strategy to lose those who were watching her. From a window, she knew the cars standing there on the street all day, only to leave when she left her work.

She went to the Daily Planet's garage where she used to park her car to see if she could find any sort of a location device on her car: She had to outsmart them if she wanted to escape them. After a few minutes of careful examination, she finally found the tracking device. She decided to wait for the perfect opportunity to dismiss it.

When she arrived to her working floor, Jimmy was standing there, next to her working desk, looking around, probably searching for her.

She ran to him as soon as she saw Jimmy holding an envelope.

"Is that for me?" – She asked, hopeful.

"Yeah…what is this all about?" – Jimmy asked, curious.

She opened the envelope and saw a fake I.D with her photo. – "Following a lead for a big story, Jimmy." - She raised an eyebrow, smiling to Jimmy.

Immediately, she began using the same phone she used to call to her contact at the Pentagon; fortunately, she was successful in getting a plane ticket in the same day to Washington D.C, thanks to a drop out, under the fake I.D she arranged, making a reservation in a three star hotel under the same name of the fake I.D.

After all arranged, she still needed help and again she had only one person she could trust.

She approached Jimmy, who was selecting a photo to the next edition's front page.

"I need you to take me to the airport."

"What? Other favour? Castle is going to chop my head off!"

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I'll let you drive." – She began waving the keys of her car in front of him.

They exited the parking lot and headed for the airport. While Jimmy was driving the car, from time to time, Lois looked through the mirror from time to time and clearly she was being followed: they kept their distance, having a few cars between them.

At the beginning of the Avenue of Tomorrow, the biggest avenue of Metropolis, they stopped at red sign. On the first row of the traffic, she looked at her side and saw a sport/convertible car and the man who was driving it.

"Like the view?" – The confident man asked, amused.

"Hardly…I was looking at the car." – She raised an eyebrow, completed unimpressed but looking at the car, it gave her an idea.

"There's more power than just the car, baby."- The man persisted.

"Ok, let's race it until the end of the avenue: if I win, I'll take the car but if I lose, we'll go on a date."

"You can already tell me where and when I'll pick you up."

"On green light…" – Lois replied.

Jimmy grabbed Lois's arm. – "Are you crazy? For him, it's going to be an easy win…"

"Don't worry Jimmy because I won't…Just focus on the wheel and step on the accelerator… on green light…"

When the green light was on, both cars were on maximum acceleration, easily leaving the traffic behind: Lois look behind and saw the cars which were chasing her, stuck in traffic and then she looked at her side and saw the sport/convertible car taking the advantage.

She looked at her right hand, holding the tracking device and with a successful throw, the tracking device was now in the seat of the sport/convertible car which now was taking a good advantage.

"Turn right , turn right!"- Lois shouted.

"WHAT?" – Jimmy asked confused.

"RIGHT! NOW!" – Lois grabbed the wheel and forced Jimmy turned left on the intersection.

"STEP ON IT!" – Lois demanded, realizing Jimmy was slowing down. She looked behind, hoping the cars which were chasing her, would follow the sport/convertible car: finally after a few moments, her objective was successful as she saw those cars not turning in her direction, following the sport/convertible car.

Sensing the relief of Lois, Jimmy suddenly stopped the car. – "What's happening Lois?"

Looking at his face, Lois knew that she was asking too much to Jimmy without any sort of explanation but she also knew, the less he knew, the better.

She paused for a few moments before she gave a plausible explanation. – "Listen Jimmy, I'm following a big story: I mean, this could be the next Watergate. That's my gut feeling and there are people following me whenever I go. I can't tell you anymore of this. All I'm saying, I need you to trust me and take me to the airport."

Jimmy look at her serious and resolute expression: he knew her well to tell when she was into something big and clearly this was one of those situations.

"Fair enough…" – and he resumed their course to the airport: a silent journey and occasionally, Lois looked behind to see if there were any sort of suspicious cars but she never noticed anything unusual.

Finally, they arrived at the airport: Jimmy helped Lois with her luggage. Lois always carried a sort of reserve luggage in case of sudden long trip.

"Thank you. You're a good partner, Olsen." – She smiled.

"You're not too bad yourself: I can picture it…Olsen and Lane…" – He joked and she raised an eyebrow, slightly amused and annoyed at the same time.

"Kidding!" – He replied. They shared a hug.

"Here, take my keys and my car and parked in front of my apartment and leave it there so that there aren't any suspicions about me. With my car still in Metropolis, they'll keep their search here in Metropolis, at least I think."

"Bye." – And Lois turned around and entered in the airport.

The flight to Washington went perfectly well and within a few hours, she arrived at the Ronald Reagan International Airport, in Washington D.C. She took a cab to the hotel where she spent the night.

On the following day, Lois got in touch with her contact in the Pentagon and headed there.

She waited right in front of the Pentagon for her contact to show up: Lois wasn't known for her patience and soon she began looking at her watch, anxiously, walking around for several minutes.

Then she heard a voice behind her.

"No time no see, Lois…" - She turned around and saw him: Wes Keenan. He was her first boyfriend when she was 16: he was in Army for just a few weeks and she was spending her vacations in the base. Her father found out and he forbidden her to see Wes but that only proved to be one more reason for Lois to see Wes. At the end of the summer, Lois returned to Metropolis along her father and the relationship between Wes and Lois ended shortly after but they remained good friends and occasionally, they met.

"It's been some time… not that I …but these past few years have been… difficult. How's Kate?"

"She's fine…"

A strange silence set upon them and Lois being very anxious "Not that I don't hear about your family and you, but that'll have to wait until next time: let's cut the small talk Wes…Did you get the security clearance for me?"

"Yeah…here you have: this is a level 3 security card and so, it doesn't give you much to work on but this is best I could arrange in such short notice. Is this so damn serious? – He asked almost incredulous about Lois' suspicions.

"I'm afraid that I'm only at top of the iceberg."

They both entered in the Pentagon building and Wes guided Lois into a small office where she could access the database.

"I'm going now: I have to get to my post again but if there is anything you need, calling me."

"Fine, thanks." – Wes exited the office, leaving Lois alone. She spent minutes searching for something Superman related and all she could find the rescues that Superman participated on: photos, videos, speculations about his strength, powers, his power source, his allies. She could see her name listed in the allies gallery among others like Jimmy and Clark Kent whose status was "slain".

All of the sudden, the door of the office opened and a figure appeared: Lois couldn't distinguish who ever he/she was.

"It's hopeless: you can't dig anything beyond that." – The woman declared, flatly.

Lois got up slowly, knowing she was busted. - "Why? Either there isn't any more information which I doubt or are you trying to get me, "gone with the fishes"?".

"Neither." - The woman closed the door and stepped forward, revealing herself.

"Chloe?" – asked a stunned Lois, barely believing from all the places in the world, they would meet there.

They ran into each other, hugging, crying from the sudden happiness, for almost two years, separated by a cruel destiny: they were like sisters. For Chloe, Lois was the sister she never had and for Lois, Chloe was the sister that Lois hoped Lucy could ever be.

"How are you? What are you doing here?" – Lois looked at Chloe with her hands on Chloe's face, still having a hard time believing Chloe in being in front of her: there were so many questions to be answered, so much time to recover.

"I'm fine." – She smiled at her dazzle cousin. – "What are you doing here?"

"How did you find me?" – asked a curious Lois who was now trying to decipher Chloe's roll.

"When is this roll of questions going to end?" – inquired an amused Chloe.

"We're reporters: we have this nasty habit." – Lois joked.

Chloe adopted a serious expression and asked again. – "What's going on?"

Lois remained silent for a few moments and then she decided to confess. - "The General paid me a visit. I always thought it was like the usual: chit chat talk and in the end, he tried to lecture me, either about my work or about my personal life and we end it up fighting, yelling with all the commotion." – Lois paused for a few seconds and then continued. - "But this time, it was different: he gave me a warning, more like a threat. Stay away from Superman. I knew then, it was something big: For the past year and half, my life has turned into a Big Brother reality show: I have been followed everywhere, watched by men and women. I have this gut feeling that all of this is connected. So I decided to investigate and I got in touch with my contact, here at the Pentagon."

Concerned, Chloe looked at the computer showing some files about Superman's reports. – "This means, you have been followed here too and that means…"

"NO…" – Lois interrupted Chloe. – "I've managed to lose them for a while. I have got to return to Metropolis but before I want to know what's going on."

"Then I have something for you." – Chloe removed from her pocket a pen drive. – "Here. Inside, there's information about the "Superman Protocols"."

"Superman Protocols?" – asked a concerned Lois: being a daughter of military, she got used to several of the technical terms of Army like codes and so the word "Protocol" was familiar and her worst fears became true by Chloe's explanation.

"Protocols delivered to the U.S Army, Navy and Air Force, N.S.A, D.O.D and C.I.A: instructions in case of Superman going rogue. I'm still looking for further information, details about possible weapons, strategies, etc…"

"How did you get this information?" – Lois interrupted Chloe, still processing this major scoop.

"Pete got me a clearance to work here but these Superman protocols are only fully known by the big fish." – Chloe replied. A moment of silence followed and in that room, both women were in a world of their own, worried about what the future could reveal.

"Pete as in Pete Ross, the Congressman?" – Suddenly the name Pete had across Lois's mind. Chloe hugged her and whispered in her ear. – "You're not alone in this fight against Luthor."

"Thank you." - No more, Lois didn't feel so lonely and even if they couldn't be together again, at least those moments with her cousin couldn't be taken away by anyone.

"I have to go." – Chloe said with grief, knowing that not so soon she would able to see her cousin again.

"Bye." – Lois spoke with sadness as she saw her cousin exited the room almost crying.

London, Nº10 West Minester

A comfortable room was holding a conversation between two men, each own with different purposes.

"I'm more than convinced Lex: whatever you decided, I and my government will support you."

Those words were what he was waiting for the last couple of hours. He smiled, knowing not only he was gathering support inside the U.S but know he also had the support outside the U.S.

"Then my task is done." – Lex got up and they shook hands. They headed for the exit where a crowd of journalists and cameras were already waiting for them. When they came out, a roll of questions began a cacophony which Lex clearly didn't want to know or care about.

He entered the limo where Mercy Graves was expecting him.

"So How was it?" – She asked, in suspense.

"Another one bites the dust. " – Lex deviously smiled. – "He's on our side and even if he was against it, his wife wouldn't enjoy the tape which I have about him caught in co-ed situations."

Mercy smiled. - "Now, what?" – She asked.

"First, a 29 year old Highland. I swear if I have another cup of an 18 year old scotch, I'm going to throw up. Secondly, make the proper arrangements so that we can arrive at D.C today. By the way, get the Secretary of Defence on the phone. I need to speak with her."

On the way to the airport, Lex drank his favourite scotch and while tasting, he mentally review his plan: everything part was carefully planned and then, the time had come to accomplish it.

"Miss Secretary of Defence is on the videophone." – Mercy declared.

"Open channel."

"Mr…."

Impatient, Lex interrupted the Secretary of Defence. - "Miss Waller, please let's cut the pleasantries. What's to report?"

"It's schedule a last meeting tomorrow to analyse the last details of the Superman Protocols…"

"Which details? It has been decided no more changes." – Immediately Lex interrupted sensing not everything with The Superman protocols were fully prepared and ready to apply.

"The Director of N.S.A has still a few doubts…"

Once again, Lex interrupted but with more vigour. - "Fire him! We can't have an A-Bomb with a red cape flying around, above our heads. Do I have myself clear?" Silence came from the other side and Lex continued. - "Has Dr. Alistair Creed completed his project?"

"Then setup a meeting between the director of the project, Dr. Alistair, you, me and General Lane, within two days, at 17.00, Eastern Time."

"Yes, Mr. President."

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

In his teenage years, he learned the hard way to be careful about his true origin. Some people tried and succeed to take advantage from him: Sam Phelan, the corrupt police officer from the Metropolis P.D or Roger Taylor, the reporter from the Metropolis Inquisitor but he was lucky and fate provided that Sam Phelan and Roger Taylor wouldn't live longer to put his identity at risk.

Ever since, he was always cautious, hiding all of his tracks but nothing could prepared him for the files he was carefully reading at his apartment: As Superman, he had been watched for the last year and half and of his public appearances were recorded since charity parties to rescue operations. There were speculations about his powers, possible weaknesses, his origin and family but above all, his major fear was about a possible scenario where Superman would be considered as a menace: at the conclusion of the report he had read, he could read every word and the final sentence gave him the chills.

"Superman should be considered as an omega level threat and it's vital to take drastic counter measures in case of this scenario should ever happen".

He wasn't surprised about the corporation which made the study: LexCorp.

Lex had been pulling his strings even before reaching the presidency. His close relationship with the U.S Army as a weapons supplier gave him the credit to do such a study which he presented to his administration as soon as he was elected as President of the U.S.A.

Then he was especially apprehensive about Lex: the word came out to the press that Lex was giving a press conference within three days but the subject was unknown. He couldn't stop thinking about it: Lex had a talent to twist the truth to his own goals and he and his friends had suffered for the Lex's twisted truth.

Still in Dillingham, Alaska, he began walking around in living room, thinking about the possible scenarios about the Superman Protocols: he kept in mind the legend of Naman and Sageeth, the opposite forces of good and evil and how he remembered that Lex considered Sageeth as the hero and Naman as the villain.

He remembered his last conversation with Lex…

Metropolis, July 2014:

He was floating, seeing Lex with some paperwork: soon his shadow was noticed by Lex and Lex turned around.

Lex opened the window with his remote control and began clapping his hands.

"I'm honored to finally have a visit from the Metropolis marvel." – Lex teased but clearly he wasn't in the mood for it: the severe expression on his face clearly indicated it. The silence was only broken by the strong wind entering through the window.

"So are you standing there, silent?" – Lex asked but he remained silent, still staring at Lex as a sort of a challenge. For Lex, It was infuriating to see someone who had the nerve to challenge him. – "Talk, damn it!" – Lex grabbed his glass and threw it to him who caught it and crushed with his bare hand.

"I'm not one of your employees, Luthor. I came here to warn you: I know you; I know what you can do. I know what you did to Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan but unfortunately I lack of evidence to throw you in jail but someday, you'll slip and then I'll come for you."

"I can sue you for defamation and slur. And beside, is that a threat?" – Lex asked not impressed.

"No, it's a promise…Sageeth." – Lex was astonished by his declaration emphasizing on that name, calling him Sageeth.

He turned around and flew away.

"A war has begun, Naman." – He heard Lex's voice while he was flying away.

Present time:

He headed for the window and opened: he watched carefully the view to see if there was anyone around.

With no one at sight, he removed his glasses and flew away until he could see the entire North-American continent: he focused his vision on the state of Kansas, more precisely on Smallville. No cars were parked near the Kent farm for surveillance. From the ground it was secure but still he had to search for a spy satellite surrounding the area but fortunately there were none to be found.

Slowly, he began his descent towards the Kent farm and as he was approaching the Kent farm, he x-rayed the entire farm for the typical audio/video devices used for observation but he encountered nothing.

Finally, his feet met the ground and he walked to the kitchen's door: He entered and he saw his mother already making preparations for lunch.

"Lunch for three?" – Martha turned around as she heard her son's voice.

"Clark?" – She ran to him and they hugged. She took a good look at her son: it had been passed several weeks since his last visit. With the constant surveillance and Lois being around for her vacations made it impossible for him visit his parents.

"Have you been eating?" – She asked, slightly preoccupied.

"Mom!" – He looked at her mother, somehow amazed and baffled with her mother's question: he couldn't past that little boy image that his mother still had.

"Where's dad? – He asked not seeing him in the house.

"He's back at the barn looking at the tractor: it has some mechanical problems and your dad is trying to fix them." – Martha declared and Clark headed for the barn.

"I'll put an extra plate for you." – Martha affirmed to Clark before he exited, smiling.

Clark looked at his mother and too smiled before he exited. He walked to the barn but he stopped and again he looked at the vast horizon to see if there were any suspicious cars but still encountered nothing.

He resumed his course and he stopped when he saw Jonathan trying to make the tractor work.

"Stupid old junk…" - Jonathan remarked, frustrated.

"Need a hand?" – Jonathan turned around and Clark saw the shift of his father's expression, from the angry and frustrated one to the happy and smiling one.

They approached each other and stopped at one feet distance, smiling: most of the times, Jonathan and Clark didn't need words to express their emotions and a simply hug or a look told to each other everything they needed to know. Again that was of those times.

"What's lunch? I'm starving…"- Jonathan asked and Clark raised his hands, signaling that he didn't have any idea about lunch.

He entered with Jonathan in the kitchen: Jonathan helped Martha with lunch while Clark grabbed his cell phone and made a call to his old friend Pete Ross.

"Hello, is this a bad time?..." – Clark asked, slightly hesitant.

"No, not at all". – Pete assured.

"Can you be on the farm a.s.a.p? It's about Luthor."

"I see. I will be there in a few hours. I'm here in Topeka but I'll dispatch some matters to my secretary and I'll be there as soon as I can. There's a lot to discuss."

"OK, bye." – Clark disconnected the call, slightly agitated. Pete's last sentence made him realized there was something more. He put his cell phone in the table and went to the kitchen to join his parents.

They ate but Clark almost didn't even touch the food his mother prepared and both Jonathan and Martha realized that something was troubling Clark.

"Something is bothering you." – Martha stated trying to get Clark confess.

"Luthor…" – Jonathan replied instead of Clark: he could see the only thing which could upset so much his son. Clark remained silent but patiently, Jonathan and Martha waited for their son to confess.

"Pete gave a group of files created by Lex's Administration which the topic is…me." - Both Jonathan and Martha stared at each other, confused and perplexed and after that, they looked again at their son.

"Superman or Clark Kent?" – Jonathan asked.

"In a certain way, both." – Then his parents were even more baffled but he continued his explanation. – "The files contain several reports about Superman, in public appearances, from charity to rescue operations, speculations about powers, origin and allies. In that list of allies, the names of Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan, Jimmy Olsen, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg came along and the list continues."

"You have been studied…" – Martha declared almost talking to herself, speechless.

"They made a file of your life as a super-hero. What's the purpose?" – Jonathan inquired.

"According to the study, a series of procedures which I don't know, have to be executed if the situation of Superman going rogue ever happen." – Clark replied.

The sudden silence was a sign of the shock of his parents hearing those news and soon questions popped.

"When did you find out this?" – Martha asked, still processing the shocking news.

"It was just a few days ago. Pete was the one who found out this and told me. He's coming here, in a few hours. He said he was some news for me."- Clark declared, looking at his angst parents. The whole situation wasn't any different from others that Kent family had lived through but this time, it had a different scenario: Clark/Superman was regard as a public threat even of he had never given any hints to be considered as such, as Superman.

An uncomfortable silence ended the conversation as the words "Superman Protocols" were echoing in their minds.

Jonathan shook his head and approached Clark, putting his hand on Clark's shoulder. – "This brings a whole new problem: we all knew since Lex won the presidency, hard times would follow. Through Pete, you have learned that they have studied you and there's a possibility that you will considered as a threat. We knew from the moment you decided to be Superman that this scenario could be possible: all we have to do is to wait. And is there one thing I have learned is that you can accomplish anything. No one but you…" - stated a confident Jonathan who gave Clark a little more confidence.

"Now get up and help me with that damn tractor…"- Clark smiled at his smiling father and the two exited the house, heading to the barn.

While waiting for Pete's arrival, Jonathan and Clark were fixing the tractor: strangely, it felt good for Clark as he forgot the recent problems and time flew, hours passed and the tractor was finally fixed.

Jonathan turned the ignition on. - "Finally, it's about time!" – He declared, satisfied. Clark smiled to see his father glad with the tractor fixed but something else caught his attention: a sound of car approaching the farm. He focused his vision and saw who was in the car: Pete.

The car stopped in front of the house: Pete got out of car and looked at the farm. It was a long time since his last visit and it reminded him the old days of him and Clark riding with their bikes in the fields of Smallville.

"Pete! Over here!" – Clark shouted from the barn and Pete headed there.

Pete entered the barn and saw Clark and Jonathan near the tractor.

"Clark…"- the friends hugged and then Pete shook hands with Jonathan. – "Mr. Kent…"

"What did you get for me?" – Clark asked and again the anxiety took over Clark. Pete reached for an envelope inside his jacket and handled it to Clark. Immediately, Clark headed for the loft and opened it.

Jonathan and Pete followed Clark into the attic. – "What is it?"

"A statement to every authority of this country that the security level of the country has been changed to maximum level." – Pete replied.

"Is there a new threat?" – Jonathan asked, slightly confused and curious.

"You're asking the same question everyone is asking right now, Mr. Kent." – Again Pete answered Jonathan's question. – "Nobody knows what the threat is but the order to raise the level of security came directly from the White House."

"Lex…" – Jonathan whispered.

"I'm the menace." – Clark concluded and Pete and Jonathan looked at Clark, worried about Clark's conclusion: it was the most likely scenario.

"Tomorrow, Lex is going to give a public statement to the entire country: today we know about the security level. It is all connected." – Clark continued in his thoughts.

"Could this be something else?" – Jonathan asked.

"It's a possibility…" – Pete replied.

"It's pure speculation and there isn't any hard evidence to point us into that direction: it's all circumstantial." – Jonathan declared, hoping for the best.

"I don't know Dad. It's all happening at the same time." – Clark turned around and headed to the porthole. The entire set seemed to fit into Lex's style: a public statement to make a dramatic entrance, commanding the authorities like his own personal pawns. A perfect set for Lex's ego.

The anxiety took over Clark's mind. He turned around. – "I've got to something. I'm not going to stand still." - He began walking but Jonathan stepped into Clark's front.

"Don't do anything that you'll regret later, Clark."

Clark didn't reply because something else caught his attention: another car arrived.

"There's someone outside." – Clark declared.

"Hide." - Jonathan demanded to Clark: his natural instinct of protecting Clark immediately kicked and grabbed the letter and the envelope. Both Pete and Jonathan turned to see the person who was coming.

"Just the people I want to talk to." – A female voice stated.

"Lois…" – Jonathan whispered, relieved.

"You act like you have seen a ghost, Mr. Kent." - Lois replied, slightly amused.

"Close enough…" – Pete remarked.

"Congressman Ross…". - Lois extended her hand.

"…Lois Lane, Daily Planet." – Pete concluded Lois's statement.

"Since the proper introductions have been made, I went to your office but no one was able to tell me where you went, Congressman and so I've decided to come to you, Mr. Kent. I don't know what information here the Senator has given to you but the security level…"

"We already know Lois."- interrupting Lois, Clark stepped forward from a dark corner, catching Lois by surprise.

"Clark?" – She barely believed in the sight, almost if it was a mirage. She ran to him and hugged him, strongly; just to be sure it was really him. It took a few seconds for the hug to cease and then she looked at him: they kissed for the first time since their goodbye, year and half ago.

Jonathan signaled Pete and quietly both exited. Meanwhile, Clark and Lois continued kissing and walking until they finally sat on the old couch.

"So much to say…"

"…and so little time." – Clark completed Lois's sentence: his hand reach her face. He felt her recovering: she was breathless.

Suddenly, something struck in her mind, like lighting. – "I was probably followed. You need to get out of here."- She got up but he grabbed her by her arm. She saw him serene and smiling.

"You weren't followed. Before you saw me, I took a good look to the surroundings and I've found nothing. We're clear." - He stated, flatly. His calmness transmitted confidence and peace to Lois and the fear and alarm were part of the past.

She sat on his waist and kissed again. - "Do you know how badly I wanted this to happen?"

"No more than I did." - Clark answered and again they kissed. Subtly, she began untie Clark's shirt buttons but Clark noticed and grabbed her hands.

"This isn't probably a good idea." – Lois frowned at Clark, slightly confused but Clark explained.

"Well with all the commotion my parents might hear, our privacy may be in stake."

She eyed him, smiling. – "Don't flatter yourself, Smallville."- He too smiled but slowly, his smile faded and he looked at the porthole. He was apprehensive, worried, she could feel it.

"It's Lex, right?" – She asked, her hands reaching his face, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. She didn't need an answer from Clark as the answer came crystal clear from his eyes. She could read him like a book. She sat on the couch and Clark got up and went to the porthole, looking at the vast horizon.

"He's going to start a war. I know it, I can feel it. I just want to know how is he going to do it and if the public will believe him."

Lois got up too and went to his side. - "That's the million dollar question which everyone we know is asking."

"He turned this into his own personal crusade and people will suffer."- He turned to her. – "We know it. Look what he did to us: we trusted him and in the end, we were stabbed in the back."

She looked at him. - "He twists the truth like you bend steel." – She embraced him. – "All I know is this: you have your friends, your family and especially me, at your side. No matter what happens, I'm there for you, even if it means the end of the world."

He smiled but uncomfortably. - "Let's hope it never comes to it."

Washington D.C, the White House.

He had just arrived minutes ago: he wanted to go rest for a while. It was night already and the plane trip left him exhausted but the chief of Secret Services call him, saying that he had some brand new information which would be of his interest.

He prepared a scotch and with the glass in his hand, he looked at the window. He heard a knock and turned to the door.

"Come in." – Lex declared.

"Mr. President." – The chief of the Secret Services came in and greeted Lex. - "I know that you wanted to rest Mr. President and I'm sorry but I think this is worthy of your interest."

He put the glass of scotch in the table. - "This better be good." – He glared a menacing look at the chief.

The chief opened his suitcase and delivered a few photos to Lex. Lex began looking at them, unfolding one by one and as the unfolding continued, the surprise was getting bigger and bigger.

Speechless, it took a few moments for Lex to process the images he just saw. He put the photos on the table. - "Where and when were these taken?" – Finally Lex found the words to express.

"Just a few days ago, in Alaska…"

He looked at the chief of the Secret Services. –"You can leave." – He declared. The chief exited the room and Lex grabbed one of the photos and his scotch, glaring at the photo.

"So Clark Kent is still alive…"

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

That day was going to be decisive: in a matter of hours, Lex Luthor, the president of United States of America was about to make a public speech for the entire nation: the subject wasn't clear but everyone knew it was too important for Lex Luthor to give a public statement.

He was still in Smallville while Lois had departed for Metropolis, for the Daily Planet to get some new information about Luthor's sudden press conference.

Driving through three hours, she arrived at the Planet in the middle of morning: the usual confusion was installed in the main room. At the heart of the chaotic room, there was Jimmy updating the website of the Daily Planet.

"Jimmy…"

"You're back…" – he replied slightly annoyed. Immediately Lois noticed Jimmy's annoyance but she chose to ignore.

"Has there been any new news about Luthor's press conference?" – Lois inquired.

"Nothing that you don't know already…" – Lois look at the editor's office where Karen Castle was yelling, as usually…

Resolute, she walked to the editor's office but suddenly she heard a huge explosion and the windows' glass of the floor shattered in thousands of pieces. She fell, covered by some debris from the glass. A little shaken, she got up and headed for what was left of the window: Dumbfounded, she saw flames and smoke coming from the building right in front of her, the LexCorp tower.

Instantly, her reporter instincts kicked and she turned around and began running.

"Jimmy! Bring a Camera!" – She shouted as she headed straight to the elevator: Jimmy grabbed his camera and followed her.

"I hope you heard it, Clark." – She thought while she and Jimmy entered the elevator.

While her concern for the welfare of the people she thought about this sudden attack.

"Who would want to attack LexCorp?"- She inquired, expectant, looking at Jimmy, waiting for some suggestion. Jimmy raised an eyebrow, almost incredulous about Lois's question.

"Ok…" – she shook her head, understanding Jimmy's disbelieving expression. – "Let me rephrase it…Who is crazy enough to do it?" – There wasn't time for an answer as the elevator opened its doors and Lois and Jimmy ran to the exit, heading for LexCorp.

In the street, chaos was dominant; people were coming out of building, scared, some in panic and there was only one car of the Metropolis P.D which was there usually, during its patrol, with two police officers giving orders to evacuate the tower while they waited for back-up.

Lois looked at the sky, hopeful, waiting for his presence but he was already there, picking up people, evacuating all of those who were stuck in the floors above the ones where the explosion occurred.

As he was picking up people and putting them in safety in the same area, she headed there to speak with him, hoping to gather some information about the disaster.

"How bad is it?" – She inquired in one of those times he left some people in safety but he didn't reply: the look in his eyes said it all and he flew again to bring more people into safety.

Seeing him saving all those people, it remembered her why she loved him so much and inspired her to do the right thing: from that moment, Lois Lane stopped being the reporter and instead she became a volunteer, helping those who needed help, supporting police and fire-fighters. Minutes later, Jimmy who she lost contact, showed up next to her, helping anyone who needed assistance.

Fortunately, it lasted no more than an hour: he was quickly enough to evacuate everyone alive stuck in the building lead them into safety for medical attention.

After the intense hour he searched for Lois and found her sat on the floor in the middle of the street, resting next to Jimmy.

"Are you two ok?" – He asked, concerned.

"We're fine…" – Jimmy answered while Lois remained silent. He noticed it and somehow it surprised him. In spite of the loud noise surrounding those three, there was a kind of silence between them until Jimmy got up.

"Well, I'm going now." – Jimmy looked at Lois. – "Are you coming?"

"Go on…I'll meet you there." – Jimmy nodded to Superman and he headed back to the Planet.

"Act like I'm interviewing you…" – she whispered, extending her old tape recorder. – "I don't like this…" – she confessed.

"Neither do I…"- he looked at the sight. – "Lex has a press conference today and all of a sudden, a blast at his former company, LexCorp."

"Can it all be connected?" – She asked, guessing Superman's rail of thoughts.

"I don't know: Lex has many enemies…" – For a few seconds his attention was in her. – "How are you holding up?"- He asked, looking again at her, concerned about her safety. – "I've noticed you're not talking…much." – He emphasized the last word, catching her full attention on that detail.

"Don't worry…" – she assured. – "I'll live but watching this, it feels I'm in a war zone."

"I know what you mean…" – Again he looked at LexCorp Tower. – "I'm going up there to see if there is any lead which can give an idea about who's done this." - For a second time, he looked at her. – "Take care…" - and he flew to the floor where the blast had happened.

Floating around the floor to avoid any contamination of possible evidence, he began searching for proof: he began using his super-breath smoothly to clear the continuous smoke coming from the remaining fire. He couldn't detect anything unusual besides the smell of the explosives: sensing the heat, he floated to the location where the explosion occurred. The massive hole created by the blast didn't leave any doubt in his mind. Curious, he began sweeping the entire area with his vision through the entire spectre of radiation and suddenly he detected a strange, bizarre heat signature coming from outside of the building. Floating, he followed the signature, which was slowly fading away but still perceptible, until its point of origin.

From its point of origin, he looked again to the LexCorp. Tower and the heat's signature drawn a straight line, directed to the LexCorp Tower, to its point of explosion. Then he began x-raying his surroundings, searching for anything unusual, suspicious but he encountered nothing.

"What's going on?" – He thought.

She arrived at the Planet, to her desk where to next it, Jimmy was printing his photos to send along with Lois's report.

"Any fresh news?" – She inquired.

"Metropolis P.D is about to release a statement in two hours and the President has cancelled his press conference and he's coming to Metropolis to visit LexCorp."

Lois ignored the fact of the President coming to Metropolis, concentrating solely on the terrorist attack. – "Can you get a list of the companies involved with LexCorp over this last year?" – She addressed to Jimmy.

"For when?"- Jimmy asked.

"For Yesterday." – She answered, categorically. The expression Jimmy saw on Lois's face was an indication of the "mad dog" phase Lois Lane was into: the wide open eyes, the serious expression and a little sarcasm to add to the mix.

He got up, heading to the archive section while Lois began transferring some of her data to her computer: her day had started badly with a blast occurring right at the centre of Metropolis, killing people, leaving others wounded. Lex Luthor, a man she considered to be a devil in disguise was coming to Metropolis for the first time since the election but her day was about to get worse.

Suddenly someone come near her. – "You're going to follow Lex Luthor's visit here in Metropolis." – Lois looked at her: Karen Castle, the editor of Daily Planet, courtesy of Lex Luthor.

"You're throwing me into a social visit…" – Lois eyed the chief editor suspiciously.

"I'm giving you the story any reporter would want."

"The real story is to find out who's behind this terrorist attack, not following social visits." – The tone of the discussion began rising.

"This isn't a democracy: Do as I tell you." – Karen stated, flatly leaving Lois in her desk.

Lois's anger exploded because of Karen's affirmation. – "Really? Tell me something I don't know…Why you don't throw me into the devil's lair… the white House!"

Karen ignored her and went back to her office as Lois threw a bunch of papers, furiously grabbing everyone's attention.

"What? WHAT?" – she shouted at everyone who were dumbfounded looking at her eventually, after some time Lois's rage faded as she resumed her work and in the meantime Jimmy came up with the list Lois requested. She began analysing it but shortly after, she went to the Metropolis P.D Headquarters to get the statement but only hours after the explosion, Metropolis P.D was clueless about the one who was behind the attack in spite of the usual worldwide suspects.

She came back to the Planet where she continued her research: Coffee became her companion and minutes became hours. As the night came in, Lois was lonelier, seeing her colleagues leaving the Planet and her desk was full of papers with possible suspects who had more than one reason to try to blow up LexCorp H.D, leaving just a small space for her coffee cup and her keyboard.

She met a dead end: so many suspects, too many. Powerful men made many and powerful enemies. She searched for a possible and unique clue which could make her go into the right direction but nothing.

"You look awfully tired." - A voice behind her spoke, interrupting her thoughts.

Distressed, she turned around. – "Jeesh…Jimmy, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry… my bad." – Jimmy apologized.

She took her cup of coffee and swallowed the rest that still remained at the bottom. – "I'm trying to find something which can make me see the light at the end of tunnel but nothing, nought, zero…" – she confessed, disappointed.

"Get some rest. Maybe tomorrow you'll find the answers you need." – He advised.

"Thanks…"- she smiled at her friend's worry. – "I'll stick around in a few more minutes."

"Ok…see you tomorrow." – And he left the floor leaving Lois completely alone. Looking at her empty cup, she headed to the room where the coffee machine was still active, ready to give her, "her special drug".

Following the routine, she began inserting coins in the coffee machine and suddenly there was power failure.

"Now…isn't this great?" - She stated, resigned: she punched the machine, angered somehow assuming the machine had all the blame. She went back to her desk but she stopped: something caught her attention, a shadow. The shadow revealed a human present that was walking in her direction.

Frightened, she grabbed the first thing she could find, preparing her defence.

"Don't worry miss Lane. I mean no harm". - A male voice spoke.

"So tell me...Why do I have a hard time believing in you?" - She remarked sarcastically while she looked in every direction to see if he was really alone.

"My name is Thadeus Killgrave. I'm a geneticist and I've been working for the President for the last two years." - He declared.

Slowly but still suspicious, Lois put on her desk the object she had on her hand. The Luthor's mention intrigued her. -" Well Mr. Killgrave, you've got my full attention."

"There is a conspiracy to bring down Superman..."

"Tell me something that I don't already know, Mr. Killgrave." - She interrupted him, crossing her arms, sceptical.

"What you know is merely the top of the iceberg. All is connected." - He stepped forward, anxious.

Lois observed him: the anxiety revealed by his constant hands rubbing and looking to every direction to see if there was anyone else let transpire to her that he knew something.

From one his jacket pockets, he grabbed a paper. – "This is the address of a small apartment outside Metropolis: there's where you will find the proof to everything what I'm about to say…"- He took another step forward and the moonlight exposed him and suddenly a silent bullet passed through his head leaving instantly a corpse in the ground.

Instinctively, Lois lay down: protected by one of two columns the office had, she managed to stay intact but she knew she hadn't much time left. Still lay down, she began crawling but she stopped, noticing the small paper which contained the address Dr. Killgrave spoke moments before his death. Thankfully, the paper was in the shadow, in a position she could catch in relative security. She crawled again towards the emergence exit but she heard footsteps once she opened the door carefully. She closed it: she felt trapped and looked at the archive room and ran into it. She closed the door and looked into the entire room: there wasn't any corner or space where she could hide.

Desperate, she ran back to open the door but once she saw several men entering the floor, she changed her mind: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

She came close to the window and then she had a crazy idea: she opened the window and climbed it. A leap of faith: she closed her eyes and jumped screaming immediately, with all of her strength.

"SUPERMAN! SUPERMAN!..." – she continued screaming even harder until she sensed of pair of strong arms catching her and then she knew she was protected. She only opened her eyes when his feet met the ground.

"You're safe." – He whispered in her ear.

"Thank you." – And she kissed him. After the long and passionate kiss, he looked at her and concerned, He asked.

"What happened?"

"There's a lead."- She declared. – "A man, Thaddeus KillGrave, came to me with information about Luthor but he ended up killed right in front of me."

"And?" – He asked expectant.

"Nothing except an address I have with supposed proof of his claims."

"Is it the paper you have under your bra?"- He asked leaving Lois completely baffled by his statement.

"No peeking Smallville!" – She removed the paper form her bra.

"I've never thought you're the pink type." – Again he whispered in her ear.

"You like pink, don't you?" – She teased.

He put his cape around her and embraced her. – "You already know the answer."

Another kiss, another unforgettable moment: those were rare moments and they cherished every single one of them because they both knew, difficult times were coming.

"I have to go."- He took the paper from her hand.

"I want to go too." – She declared.

"I'll have to check this address and besides it's too dangerous." – He affirmed and Lois was about to reply but he knew her too well and continued.

"Check Thaddeus Killgrave, who he was, what he was doing…" – Initially she was reluctant but since it was becoming a team work, she shook her head, agreeing with his idea.

He stepped back. – "Get outside the city for tonight. Your house isn't safe." - He was about to fly but at very last moment, he stopped.

He pulled a watch from a pocket in his belt and gave to Lois. – "Use it whenever you need help." – She put the watch on her pulse and he continued his explanation. – "It emits a low frequency only I can hear. Don't hesitate." – He emphasized his last words.

"Thank you."- She smiled at his concern.

"Be careful."- He advised.

"I will." – She replied and she watched flying away, leaving her alone.

Flying to the location the paper indicate, he saw a column of smoke coming to the same location where he was heading. As he approached the location, he saw a fire and several firemen along with several vehicles.

He put aside his thoughts for any proof of Thaddeus Killgrave and decided to assist the firemen. Once he arrived, he came close to a fireman and asked.

"How bad is it?"

The fireman who was occupied in his task, replied with some difficult. – "Gas explosion, several wounded, a house burned and the next ones are burning as you can see it."

Using his x-ray vision, he scanned the houses which were burning and fortunately no one was stuck at any debris or was fainted. He used his artic-breath to erase the fire which he did successfully in a couple of minutes.

Once the job was done he was about to leave but he remembered he was already in the area to search for the proof of Thaddeus Killgrave.

He came up to another fireman and showed him the address.

"Do you know where it is?" – He asked.

"That's the house that blew up." - The sudden revelation made by the fireman made him realised how someone wanted everything to be quiet.

He went back to the Fortress where he had some evidence from the terrorist attack provided by Lt. Sawyer of the Metropolis P.D: video surveillance of the Lexcorp Tower.

He put the DVD recording in the console of the Fortress where it began analysing it and displaying a 3-D image.

"Switch the image into infrared." – Swiftly he could see the heat signature he saw earlier.

"Rotate 50º" – he began tracking the origin: then a small detail caught his attention that a human eye couldn't detect.

"Magnify cell H12" - The new image was very blurry and still small.

"Amplify again and focus for better resolution." – Now the image was clear as crystal and showed him a shocking sight.

"Who is this?... What is this?" – He asked, stunned.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Lois ignored Superman's advice and went back to the Planet: it was a crazy idea to go back to a scene crime but for the sake of the story, she had to. On her way back to the Daily Planet, she called Metropolis P.D.

Lois took a cab and took extra precautions: she didn't if they're still waiting for her and so she told the taxi driver to park a couple of blocks behind. Slowly, she walked to the Planet, always looking at the rooftops, suspicions vehicles: at the corner she peeked and saw the only car unit form the Metropolis P.D. She came to them and together, they went to the floor where everything happened hours earlier.

Once they reached the floor where she worked, the feeling of frustration took over her. The floor was cleaned from anything that could incriminate anybody: no body, no blood and they even looked the security DVD but they found nothing. The police asked questions to the security guard but he claimed to heard nothing. "Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing."- She thought

To make her even more desolated, the police only dispatched one unit: She thought more units would come but the police officer told her the entire department was working on the terrorist attack, demands coming directly from President Luthor who wanted almost immediate results.

Her relation with Metropolis P.D was stormy to say the least and when she realized they didn't believe her, she wasn't arrested because the cops were too busy and meanwhile they received another dispatch.

Alone again, she toured around the floor looking for some evidence but it was useless. There was nothing she could notice, something that could lead her somewhere.

Then she followed Superman's advice and went to the big archive room down, at the Daily Planet basement. The search words were very simple: Thaddeus Killgrave.

So busy, Lois didn't notice time passing by quickly and soon the first rays of light lighten the archive room.

It was an arm on her shoulder that pulled her back to reality and scared her.

"There you are..." - She turned around to see Jimmy looking at her.

"Jimmy! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?..." - Abruptly, she felt the effects of no sleep and she felt her body was heavy and soft.

"You look awfully tired." - Jimmy looked at Lois more carefully and associating her with a research she was doing, whatever it was. - "Wait... You actually stayed here all night?"

"Sort of..." - she declared, recalling the events of last night.

"Whatever it is, it has to be hot stuff..." - he pulled a chair and sat right next to her. - "Well?" - He asked, expectantly.

"Thaddeus Killgrave: a geneticist who worked at Cadmus Lab." – She simply answered.

Jimmy looked at the monitor, curious. - "It says he died a year ago at Stryker's Prison Island. And?"

"I'm not part of the Supernatural gang but last night Thaddeus Killgrave came to me."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, incredulous. - "What the hell?"

"He was here in the flesh." - She whispered. - "And I can tell you his death certificate is wrong by a year..."

"You mean..."

"He was murdered last night, right in front of me." - She concluded his thought.

He shook his head in a sign of disbelief and immediately Lois insisted. - "Listen Jimmy, last night I was nearly killed by pros who left the floor so clean I could eat from it."

As she continued, she sensed Jimmy was more and more skeptical: maybe he thought she was tired and imagined that entire scenario.

She looked for something which could give her some proof: then she looked at her pulse.

"Here look at this." - She showed her wrist, carrying the watch Superman had given to her the previous night.

Jimmy looked carefully at her watch and compared it to his watch which was given by Superman months earlier.

"Until yesterday the watch was your world exclusive." - She declared.

Jimmy's skepticism began fading away but he still had his doubts. For now he decided to give her the benefit of a doubt. - "Ok, so what did he tell you?"

"Not much..." - she answered, disappointed but she remembered the address Thaddeus Killgrave gave her. - "...but he gave me an address where he kept the proof I need. Superman went there to check it but until now he hasn't showed up." - His mention lead Lois to find weird Superman didn't give her any signal.

She felt tempted to activate the watch's signal but she remembered to use it only in case of emergency.

She stopped thinking about it because Jimmy insisted to hear more details. - "What can you tell more about this Thaddeus guy?"

"Thaddeus Killgrave worked in Cadmus Labs with Dr. Dabney Donovan but they're fired because of some unethical experiments sometime before LuthorCorp bought Cadmus Labs back in 2002."

"LuthorCorp?" - Jimmy frowned.

"The thing is, both doctors were rehired to Cadmus Labs by Lionel Luthor shortly after LuthorCorp's buy of Cadmus Labs. Then two years later, they're fired by Lex Luthor after Lionel Luthor's arrest." - Then Lois smiled at a strange fact. - "There is only news about them when they're arrested along with Bruno Mannheim. In other words: Intergang."

"Your FrontPage story the Daily Planet published a year and half ago."- Jimmy stated, remembering that day which was the same day when Clark began working at the Daily Planet. He remembered his friend who tragically lost his life year and half ago.

Filing that thought for later, Jimmy continued his questioning. - "But they were arrested at a maximum security prison...how did they get out?"

"They did: in a body bag..." - Lois answered, flatly, pointing to the monitor. Jimmy looked at the monitor and read the article.

"_Last night, an attempt prison break took place at Stryker's Island but the fugitives who tried to escape were killed: among the fugitives were Dr. Thaddeus Killgrave and Dr. Dabney Donovan, renamed scientists who were arrested..."_

Reading the news article, Jimmy looked at Lois, somewhat baffled which made Lois raise an eyebrow in sign of suspicion about the whole situation.

"Now you've started seeing the ghosts I saw..."

"No Kidding!" - Jimmy replied, stunned.

"All I need now is to find the missing link of the chain..." - again she looked at her watch, expecting Clark's return but until that moment she heard nothing about him and the proof.

Again her thoughts were interrupted by Jimmy.

"Lois...Lois..."

"What?" – She asked still thinking about Clark.

"Is this why we were running from those chasing cars? It's because some people came to me and asked questions about you, when you went to Washington."

"Yes" – She replied, unequivocally. – "Right now, I'm going to make a copy of my research and I'm going to handle over to you. If I'm going to bite the dust then you have to continue it and handle it to Superman."

Jimmy didn't like Lois's conversation as she began doing her copy of her research while she picked some of her belongings. The copy was made right away and immediately she grabbed the copy and handled it to Jimmy.

"Keep it safe." – She looked at him, seriously: Slowly, Jimmy grabbed it, noticing Lois's complete seriousness from her face and knew right away, more than ever, how serious and dangerous the situation even if he knew what he knew was just the top of the iceberg.

"Where are you going?" – Jimmy asked, slightly confused, watching Lois putting some things into her purse.

"Didn't you say the President was coming today to Metropolis? Well, we're going to meet the devil face to face."

The trip to the airport was silent on both sides: while Lois's affirmations were hammering Jimmy's mind, Lois's mind was elsewhere too. Superman hadn't given her any sort of explication since last night and there wasn't any news about him from which she heard about.

The whole situation was driving her nuts: if Clark and she were expecting a sort of war declaration, knowing about the Superman protocols, a complete set of procedures of what to do in case of Superman going rogue, this sudden terrorist attack was clearly changing the scenario. Luthor was apparently no longer interested in Superman, but to know who was responsible for the attack of his old company.

Fears and doubts were clouding her judgment and the certain of the past was then a mist of fog and vagueness of the future: no longer she could anticipate the scenario and she was just as clueless as anyone else.

Their trip to the airport was rapid but once they arrived at the airport, the tight security forced them to wait at the airport entrance: they could see dozens of police officers among military as if the airport itself had become an army headquarters in time of war. They tried to know the president's schedule through their sources but no one was able to tell: either they didn't know or they were too afraid to tell anything.

So, they've waited for the President: after an hour of waiting, the Air force One landed at the Metropolis Airport and the hype began immediately. The large battalion of journalists approached the circle of security people whose cordon was large enough for the President. Lois and Jimmy were at the front from where they spotted Lex Luthor. Pacing, Lex just waved at the crowd and when he was about to enter the limo, he noticed Lois: they stared at each other for few moments before he finally entered the limo.

Immediately, Lois and Jimmy headed for the car, running to be the first ones to follow the president: traveling with Jimmy's motorcycle, they managed to follow the presidential caravan to Metropolis where the first stop was the hotel where the President was staying for the night.

The President and its staff stayed at the hotel for sometime and patiently Lois and Jimmy waited at the other side of the street. However Lois wasn't known for her patience and as the rest of the journalists arrived at the hotel, she tried to get inside the hotel.

"Where are you going?" – Jimmy asked, seeing Lois walking away.

"Finding a way to get in…" – she replied, walking away but she stopped at half way from the hotel as she noticed a sudden disorder around the hotel's entrance and immediately she understood something big was about to happen. The rapid commotion around the security team and in the middle of fuss, Lex Luthor came out and headed to the presidential limo which was still standing in front of the hotel.

She turned around and yelled. – "Jimmy!"

He didn't think twice and he turned the bike's ignition on and as the presidential caravan began driving towards its next stop: LexCorp's Tower. They didn't waste anytime following the caravan. As they arrived to their spot, Lois tried to come close to Lex Luthor as possible but she was prevented right away by the security team to get any closer to Lex, stepping at Lois's front.

"All right!... All right!..." – she affirmed, lifting her arms, barricaded by three men: she stepped back but she kept searching for the President in middle of the semi-chaos and while walking around the safety perimeter, she found him already looking at her, fixatedly. The look on Lex's eyes gave her chills down her spine and she couldn't consider it as a good feeling.

Both she and Jimmy tried walking around the safety perimeter but the formation of the safety perimeter didn't allow them to get any closer to the President while he walked inside the LexCorp building. He and his staff were inside the building for almost an hour as Lois and Jimmy and rest of the press waited outside, in the streets along the crowd who were also expectant to see the President.

The hour passed and soon enough, the President walked out of the building, walking towards the section were most of press was eagerly waiting for him, ready to assault the president with questions, regarding the terrorist attack but suddenly all attention shifted towards the opposite direction.

"LUTHOR!" – Everyone looked the other way seeing Superman holding a car and immediately he tossed the car in Lex's direction: the car hit the ground violently and Lex barely escaped. Instantaneously, panic and fear installed among the crowd while the police and part of the President security formed the first line of defense, attacking Superman while the other part rapidly evacuated the president.

Lost in the middle of the chaos was Lois, who temporarily lost contact with Jimmy and couldn't believe what she was seeing: Superman who was the super-hero everyone loved was now killing one by one with his heat vision, each person who was attacking him, burning them to death.

Watching the horror and unable to comprehend his actions, Lois ran in his direction stopping right in front of him: he looked at her with his glowing red eyes ready to burn anyone but he stopped. He grabbed her and threw her, to his side, several meters away and continued his pursuit, walking.

Dizzy form the fall, Lois still had strength to get up and denying what she was seeing, she pressed the button of her new watch which Superman had given her the previous night, in hope he would come to his senses. Her hope grew as he stopped and looked at her: then he ran at super-speed in her direction grabbing her by her arm.

"This…bothers…me." – He declared and ripped her watch and again he threw her, this time against a wall. It would be the last thing she would remember before she fainted.

She woke up with bright lights in her direction which clouded her vision but slowly it returned to normal, seeing two old friends staying at her side.

"Damnit Lane, you never learned!..." – she smiled, seeing her old chief, Perry White angry, speaking loudly at her but she knew him too well to see he was happy to see she was still alive. – "…if you're going to keep up like this you'll never hit the thirties."

"Perry, I feel like my head is going to grow until it explodes…please, spare me the lecture…" - Seeing how futile his speech was, Perry took a deep breath while Lois, lay down, grabbed the command of the bed and pressed the button so that she could in a more comfortable position to talk to Perry and Jimmy who was at Perry's side.

"What happened?" – She asked, looking to Jimmy at same time she tried to remember her last memories.

"Don't you remember?" – Jimmy asked doubtfully but seeing a blank reaction coming from Lois, he answered her question. - "There was an attempt on Luthor's life". – Jimmy's response caught Lois's full attention but Jimmy was hesitant to continue with more detail, fearing Lois's reaction.

"Superman tried to kill Lex Luthor." – Perry stated categorically.

The statement came as shock to Lois but as she started to remember those moments right before she fainted, she knew Perry wasn't lying or making false presumptions.

Already she began taking all kind of conclusions since conspiracy to the simple conclusion of Superman going rogue following the idea "the best defense is offense.", but her mind was going overload and her headache wouldn't allow her to continue any further, her assumptions.

"Lois?…Lois?…" – Jimmy asked concerned seeing Lois slightly dizzy.

" Yeah, Jimmy, I'm fine." – She quickly assured both Perry and Jimmy but one small detail kept bugged her. – "How did get I here?"

"According to the medical staff, Superman took you and handled you to this hospital." – Perry declared.

"Where is he?" - She asked, curious.

"Nobody knows." – Jimmy replied, clueless but their conversation ended when a nurse entered Lois's room.

"Visit hour is over." – The nurse declared.

Both Perry and Jimmy exited the room, saying goodbye to Lois. She was left alone in that room and only T.V was her companion but after some zapping she turned off the T.V: even she didn't want to think about him, it was too strong for her to ignore.

The idea of having a Superman seeking revenge by killing his worst enemy didn't make sense because she knew him too well for him to behave like but she couldn't ignore facts, the present reality she was seeing with her own eyes. She witnessed people dying instantly and she was in the hospital, injured by the man she loved.

Every scenario that she could think of, didn't allow her to put the pieces together because something was missing or it didn't make sense. Few hours later, she was then, too tired to think anything and she decided to sleep but with the room's door opening, someone interrupted her intentions.

"I hope I didn't past your bedtime…" – there was no red cape or blue tights but instead there was a suit and the glasses and an uncomfortable and shy smile but her reaction was less than warm.

"How are you?" – He asked, concerned.

"I wished I could say that I was in cloud number nine but I'm here at bed fourteen. If you tried a little harder, I might have been in seventh heaven." – Her tone voice was cold, bitter and harsh but apparently he wasn't surprised, almost expecting it.

"I know you're every reason to get mad at me and even afraid of me…" – he tried to explain to her but she interrupted him.

"Congratulations! You read me like a book!" – She remarked sarcastically.

"But please hear me out…" – Clark pleaded and Lois persisted.

"Why did you do that? Where were you?..."

"Please Lois listen to me…" – he insisted but once again she interrupted him.

"You almost kill me…" – she stated, with tears ready to scroll down her cheeks, letting the emotions out.

"I wasn't there at first…" – he lowered his head shameful, not because he knew he didn't injure her but because he wasn't present when it happened. –"I was at the Fortress when…"

"Fortress?" – She raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"It's a construction my biological father left for me at the North Pole…"

"That's just great! You have an igloo at the North Pole you have never talked about…" – By the moment, she was convinced that she knew less and less about him.

"Lois…" – he pleaded but she was more distant by the second and then she diverted her face from him, with tears scrolling down her cheeks.

"I heard your watch and I came right away: I saw a man just like me flying in the opposite direction." – He continued. – "But from the sky I saw you laying down, unconscious and I took you to this hospital and after that, when I tried to follow that man, he was already gone." – He took some photos from his jacket and put them on her bed. – "Here, it's footage from the attack on LexCorp. It was the same man but it wasn't me." – He paused for a moment hoping she would look at him again but it didn't happen.

"I don't want to kill Lex and I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you." – He assured her but she didn't know what to believe in anymore: he saw her still distant but he couldn't blame her. Perhaps someone was making a villain out of him and that someone was giving Lex a reason to use whatever were those Superman protocols based upon LexCorp tower terrorist attack.

"I'm going now…" – he stated, sensing he couldn't nothing more than to wait for her to see his side. – "…I just hope you'll see this before it's too late. You're smarter than this."

He went to the door but before he left the room, he stated, looking at her. – "I love you. Don't ever forget…"

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Since his debut as a photographer, he never experienced such troubled times: Superman, his pal was behaving erratically, tried to murder the President and sent Lois to the hospital who he was going to visit but surprisingly or not, when he got there, she was already up.

"Lois? What are you doing? You're not suppose to be up!..." – Jimmy was astonished to see Lois almost ready.

Lois looked at Jimmy, expectantly. - "Did you bring my clothes?"

"Yeah but…"

Lois took the bag Jimmy carried and took the clothes from the bag. – "Turn around."

"Don't you think…"

"Turn around." – Jimmy's insistence was no match to Lois's and eventually Jimmy gave up and turned around.

"Fine! You could at least stay another day…"

"If the news were in this hospital Jimmy, I would gladly stay, however since the news are at the devil's lair, we need to get going." – She wanted the truth, as always but in this case it was for different reasons: she wanted to know who was behind that entire pre-war scenario, implicating the man she was in love with. At first sight, everything was implicating Superman as the responsible but deep down she knew he couldn't do it. He had suffered far too much and she figured if he snapped, it would have happened long time ago.

"I'm ready." – Lois spoke while looking at Jimmy's watch. – "We have still time to get there for the President's announcement." – She exited the patient's room leaving Jimmy behind.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

It was time: He had everything at the palm of his hand and he couldn't let it go.

Smallville, May 2005:

He woke up, still a little dizzy: he began walking around erratically, trying to remember his last moments before going unconscious. Chloe was with him.

"Chloe? Chloe?" – He kept repeating. He was suspicious about Chloe: she knew a lot more than she wanted to admit.

"Where did you go, Chloe?" – He asked once again but there was no response. The only noise he could hear was the debris of the caves falling. Looking to his surroundings, he spotted a cell phone, Chloe's cell phone.

The mystery was getting higher. - "Where did you go Chloe?" – He asked once again. Then he looked straight ahead and saw a new chamber, confirming the drawings he stole from Clark when Clark had amnesia.

He entered the chamber and looked a board, strategically right at the center of the chamber. He took a good look at the board: the symbols were familiar because some of them were at other parts of the caves and he also spotted them in Egypt.

Besides the symbols, Lex recognized the octagonal key he once possessed and found in a Smallville field. Holding the key, he felt that he was getting closer to the truth.

Suddenly, he felt someone behind: he turned around, hiding the octagonal key in his hand, covering it and he saw one man, motionless, staring at him.

"Everything is under control here, officer. I'm sure you're needed elsewhere." – He declared but the man stood there, wordless. Then the man began approaching.

"You have the key." - Lex froze at the man's statement. He wondered how the man could know he was hiding the octagonal key but he didn't have time to speculate. With one hand, the man grabbed him by his throat while with the other hand; the man reached for the octagonal key. Once in his power, the man tossed him with ease.

He had a hard fall but he was still conscious: what he saw next was amazing. The man exited the chamber as fast as the wind almost impossible to see him: super-speed, super-strength and someone the ability to see or to guess what he carried in his hand.

It took several minutes for him to recover: slowly he got up and exit the chamber, heading to his Mercedes. Once in his car, he thought over and over about what had just happened to him.

"The mind is playing tricks with you, Lex." – He thought. He shook his head in disbelief and turned the ignition on and left the location.

He decided to go to his mansion to evaluate the possible damage the mansion had suffered due to the meteor shower but he couldn't possibly imagine what was going to happen next.

While driving, he saw the damage the meteor shower had done to the county and when he focused his attention to the road, he saw Lana in the middle of the road: he stepped as hard as he could on the brakes, stopping the car, right in front of Lana.

Worried, he got out of the car: He saw her in a complete mess.

Lana turned the other way and began walking with difficulty.

"Lana, what happened?" – He inquired, still unaware of her situation: last time they met, he sent her to Metropolis in his private helicopter.

"He's still out there. He will kill us if he finds us." – By her words, he concluded she was in shock and something terrible happened: not only physical she was a mess with injuries in her body, especially in her right leg but psychologically, she was also a mess.

"It's ok, you're safe now."- He tried to give some assurance to her. – "Lana, you need to get off that leg. I'll call a doctor."

His words fell in vain: she didn't care because she was terrified with something else. – "You don't understand. We're not safe… We're not safe…" - she kept repeating those words. Worried, he walked to her, grabbing her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"- Lana yelled almost as if the man she was talking about was grabbing her.

She struggled to get free but Lex, in much better shape, manage to hold her.

"Lana, you're in shock. It's over! The meteor shower stopped. It's over." – Momentarily, she stopped struggling: his words brought some temporary peace but the incident was too much for her to think of something else.

"There's a man. He was right behind us. He came out…" - She began confessing but she stopped, horrified by the male figure.

Lex noticed it; something was holding Lana back and he forced her to look at him. – "Out of what? Where did he come from?"

"A space ship." – She declared, hesitant.

"Where?" – He inquired once again.

"Lander's field." – She replied but with more emphasis, noticing Lex's sudden interest.

He thought but it couldn't be possible: she was in shock and reason told him that it was all an illusion.

"Lana, you have been through a lot. It's perfectly normal for your mind to play tricks on you. Trust me."

"No, Lex, you trust me! I know what I saw."- She stated, furiously because he didn't believe her. Seeing hopeless the fact that Lex didn't believe her, she began walking, in spite of her difficulty. – "we've got us to get as far away as possible."

He turned around to see Lana falling unconscious. He lifted her and carried her to his car to his mansion where he called to a doctor to assist Lana. From there, he headed to the hospital where the Kents were but surprisingly Clark was nowhere to be seen. Then he headed to the Kent farm where he saw Clark looking around for his parents.

They had a discussion: Lex almost swore seeing Clark in the middle of the chamber when a bright light almost blinded him and somehow, he fell unconscious. But Clark denied everything, saying he got out of Smallville in one of the military vehicles. He left Clark, unconvinced of Clark's version.

Then, he decided to go to Lander's field: he was divided between the logic of being in state of shock, of his mind playing tricks with him and the strange coincidence of the description of a man Lana made who was exactly like the one he saw, with superhuman-powers. He didn't have anything to lose and chose to go there.

Once he arrived at the location, what he saw forever changed his perspective of the world and the universe: a big black ship, nothing like he had ever seen before.

Dumbfounded, he ran to touch it to see if it was real: its surface was so smooth, he didn't remember ever, touching an object like that. He had to have it: immediately he called to use his resources to carry the ship out of there to a warehouse where it could be well guarded and be studied by his team of scientists.

The ship was studied but his team of scientists couldn't open it: they didn't find a way to open it. Then, the unthinkable happened: guarded 24 hours a day, one day the ship suddenly disappeared and he never saw it again.

He sent scouts all over the world: reports of visions came from Honduras, Egypt and China but he never saw it again. Either the ship or the man…

But the locations all revealed something to him: they were the locations of the stones he began tracking. With the death of the Teague family, only one person remained with possible interest and somehow connected with the whole history: Clark Kent.

By the time, he had lost the ship, they weren't talking anymore: continuous disagreements lead their friendship to an end. To get close to him again, he used Lois and Chloe, seducing them with the possibilities of treatment for Chloe's mother and Lucy Lane's clean record, a second chance for her.

But everything failed: Clark didn't have the stones and disappeared without a trace.

He lost interest in Clark but the searches for the ship continued for years but it was effortless: just when all hope was lost, years later in Romania, it was found a half of a medallion, named Dragon Eye with some symbols, identical to the ones he could see in the caves. Manuscripts reveal a legend of a power beyond anything else ever encountered: the medallion while in one piece was able to give superhuman-powers, similar to the ones that man he faced years before, in the chamber.

He searched for the other half only to find out; it was in possession of the Swann foundation. Meanwhile, another event gave in the chills: a being with super-strength, super-speed, heat vision and the ability to fly made its appearance in Metropolis, claiming to fight for truth and justice. He was called Superman.

But he knew it was all a lie…

"Mr. President…Mr. President…"

"Yes?" – He asked: he was distant, recalling his memories and only after several callings, he snapped out his thoughts.

"They're waiting for you, Sir." – His secretary declared. Lex got up and headed to a reunion room where everybody was waiting for him. As he came in, everyone got up, in signal of respect.

"Status Report." – Lex eyed every person: clearly there was some tension because one and all knew about Lex's plan and its possible consequences.

Amanda Waller was the secretary of Defense and one of the most loyal people Lex had encountered in his Administration. – "The Superman Protocols are ready for application whenever you say Sir: The level of security has been raised to the maximum level and every authority since the National Guard to the Army has been warned. The U.S Army has called 15 000 reservists."

"Good enough." - With the explanation given by his secretary of Defense, Lex turned his attention to someone else. – "What's the status of project "Metallo", General Lane?" – Lex inquired.

"Dr. Alistair Creed has just finished the prototype. His experience with robotics and his experiment with Victor Stone were fundamental to the project: using the fundamental parts of project he carried with Victor Stone as a subject, Dr. Creed created a new alloy and the use of a meteor rock encountered in Smallville, state of Kansas, managed to increase the power of the robot." – Lex smirked with the results but he let Gen. Lane continue. –"Based on the reports of Superman's powers and the tests we made, Metallo can match or possibly surpass Superman in terms of strength, vision, audition and reaction."

Calmly, Lex grabbed a photo of his pocket and began looking at it. –"So you say Metallo is ready…"

"Yes, Mr. President." – The General declared.

"Then Metallo has a new priority."- Lex threw the photo to the General through the desk. – "He's working with Superman since day one. I want him dead or alive. He's a traitor to this country and to mankind. I prefer him dead."

The General looked at the photo and recognized the person. – "Sir, he should be arrested and go to court and be judged."- The General stated.

"DON'T QUESTION MY ORDERS!" – Lex shouted, furiously, punching the desk. Realizing he lost his temper, Lex took a deep breath and regained his calm. – "I'll have no discussion: execute the order. I want him dead or capture in the next 24 hours." – Abruptly, he got up and exited the room: Mercy joined him.

"When is going to be the press conference?" – Lex asked, walking in the corridor.

"One hour, Mr. President." – Mercy replied, categorically.

Lex headed to the Oval room where he stood there waiting: it was an imitation of the real oval office in the White House. With the recent attempt upon his life, his staff determined he was no longer safer in the White House. Everyone was nervous and expect from him, a determined response. The wait was long and the anxiety rose by the minute. Everything he planned for the last year and half was set: There was no place for mistakes.

He heard someone knocking at the door: Mercy opened the door. – "It is time." – She declared.

He exited the oval room and went to the Press Room where the journalists were waiting.

He stopped at a mirror located at the mirror, seeing his image: He bend forward and adjusted his tie. He waited for his announce.

"The President of the United States of America."

Then he entered the Press Room. He took a good look to his audience before he started his press conference.

"Ladies e Gentlemen, members of the Press: when I was elected as President, a year ago, I made a vow: to serve and protect this country and its citizens. Today I come to you with disturbing news that puts in jeopardy, the lives of the American people." – He paused for a while: then he was sure that everybody in the room had their attention on him.

He signaled one of his assistants and all lights were turned off and a screen was shown. - "As you see on this screen, these photos were taken in 2005. Location: Smallville, State of Kansas. Clearly what is shown in these photos is a space ship of alien origin. This isn't a hoax: I was there back then. In its composition there had elements which aren't found in the period table: meaning that they aren't from this planet or any part of this Solar System."

He continued. – "According to eye witness, from this ship, a living being came out and kill almost every police officer whose arrival came after some distress calls. Only one survived but he became mentally unstable. The ship was carried to a warehouse to be studied but several weeks later, it vanished without a trace: even today we can't find this ship. As for the living being, it was similar to any human but it possessed superhuman powers, identical to Superman's. In fact, after careful examination, a group of scientists discovered this entity shares the same origin with Superman."

The mention of Superman caused several reactions among the journalists: suspicion, fear, disbelief, concern, eyebrows raised, and whispers due to the recent attempt on the President's life…

He kept on. - "This alien force is considered to be hostile and a danger to the world: My counselors have concluded this force has the power to conquer the world and destroy the free world as we know it. Their technology is far more advanced than ours and their will to conquer is even greater."

The press was following Lex's speech with full attention: The world was about change radically. – "This isn't their first attempt: according to ancient manuscripts found in Romania, Central Europe, a individual from Superman's home planet tried to conquer the world with a help a piece of their technology, known here on Earth as Dragon Eye. The medallion was used two years by a known terrorist named John Corben and he was stopped by Superman but the medallion disappeared without a trace: it's most likely Dragon Eye was taken by Superman but we don't know what use Superman will give."

Lex paused for a few moments: his moment of triumph had begun and then he could start to feel the insecurity in people's eyes.

Again he looked at other of his assistants and a second screen was shown. –

"This was taken three days ago." – The images shown were violent showing several wounded people and destruction. – "These images are from the terrorist attack made upon LexCorp days ago: the investigation which occurred in the following days revealed a set of strategic placed bombs around one of the building's floor. The detonation of the bombs was a shock for this administration and especially to me: the detonation was caused by a heat signature which we were able to locate its origin from outside the building and by visualizing a recent video recording which puts Superman as the source of the heat signature: Superman is responsible for the terrorist attack on LexCorp." – Immediately whispers were heard among the audience: Shock was the domain feeling among the audience.

"Ladies and gentleman…" – He waited for the whispers to fade and their attention turned again to him. – "Facing and analyzing all the evidence and the recent attempt on my life, the government of United States of America considers Superman as a threat to national security and an enemy of state."

He eyed everyone looking for reactions and the result was the one he expected. – "As an enemy of state, Superman must be stopped. However to avoid any bloodshed, The United States issues an ultimatum to Superman: Superman has a period of 48 hours to turn himself in order to go to a trail. Any act of resistance will be seen as an act of war: if Superman doesn't surrender in that time period, it will also be seen as an act of war." – He looked to a camera and emphasized his speech. – "Make no mistake Superman: we will use any means to stop you. I just hope this ultimatum can and will avoid a war. Thank you, ladies and gentleman, members of the press."

He waved to everyone, signaling goodbye but unexpectedly someone asked a question, breaking the "no question" rule of the session.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet: where did you get that tape? Is it authentic?"- Her voice was defiant, challenging Lex into a duel of worlds. Slowly Lex turned to face Lois directly while she continued asking questions. – "Why you are only revealing this now since the footage you showed has years old? Is this just an issue of xenophobia and racism?"

"When it comes to national security, issues of xenophobia and racism aren't considered, Miss Lane." – He replied with an icy tone in his voice. – "This isn't really much a surprise coming from you, miss Lane: after all, we all know about your colored friendship with Superman. Perhaps you should be warned about him: either he's deceiving you or you are aware of his plans and then you would have to be arrested under the charge of treason. Choose your side wisely, Miss Lane." – The chilly tone continued and Lex exited the room.

Seeing Lex leaving the room, Lois even tried one more question. – "How did you get this information Mr. President?… The people need to know the truth!"– Lex didn't even bother to answer Lois's fierce question and continued walking to his room while three agents walked in Lois's direction, grabbed her and escorted her to the exit.

Walking away from the press, Lex headed to his room where he sat on his chair finding the silence he needed, accompanied by Mercy, his personal assistant.

"I thought you wanted to go in a war in Superman." – Mercy declared, surprised with Lex's ultimatum.

"The Ultimatum is a mere formality. It's to avoid any suspicion of war hunger and revenge. I want the American people… I want the entire world at my side." – He replied while preparing another scotch: he rose his glass to Mercy and then he drank the scotch.

"Ahh….Mercy, my dear…Hunt season has just began."

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

He turned off the TV: his worst fears had been confirmed by the man he hated the most. Shock, perplexity, it was a mixture of feelings ready to erupt. Not in a lifetime he could imagine such atrocities spoken about him: he, as an evil alien sent to the planet Earth to conquer it, to become an absolute ruler, a dictator.

Anxiety took over his spirit: he was still processing the situation. An ultimatum was made by Lex but he knew it meant nothing: Lex wanted his personal war and if Lex had the power, Lex would choke him until his last breath.

Since from the beginning, people told him he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders: in that moment, it became almost unbearable to carry. He was living a terrible dilemma: in one way he couldn't surrender because he knew he was innocent and the evidence which Lex revealed to the public was just a misinterpretation of true facts. On the other side, someone like him tried to kill Lex and Lex was ready for war and a war would always have its victims, innocent victims.

His parents were at his side: like him, they were silent. They knew his son was walking at the edge of a knife and the slightest mistake would risk everything.

"I need to clear my mind." – Clark declared and abruptly he got up from the couch and exited the house. Both Kents looked at each other: they knew what each other was thinking and immediately they got up went after Clark but once they exited the house, they saw their son flying away.

"CLARK! CLARK!" – Jonathan shouted but it was useless: Clark was too much disturbed to hear anything.

Four was the number of agents to detain Lois: she punched two of them, leaving one with a broken nose until they finally controlled her. They grabbed her and drag her out of the room too kick her out of the building but when they reached the building's main entrance, someone stepped forward in Lois's defense.

"Gentlemen…I'll take it from here." – Immediately the men let her go.

Lois looked upon the man she was facing, intrepid. – "I don't need your overshadowing protection, General." – She declared, angry: she never understood her father's warning about Superman until she heard Lex's deadline minutes earlier.

"You're wrong…more than ever…you're a friend of an alien who's an enemy to this nation." – He stated.

"And you believe in a virtual reality only Lex Luthor could create." – Lois counter argued.

"Why can't you see what's right in front of you?"- He stepped forward, slightly concerned, unable to understand Lois's point of view.

"Because the president of the United States is Lex Luthor…" – her voice grew, focusing her anger and frustration but her father replied, interrupting her.

"…Elected democratically by the American people…" – the tone of the discussion rise.

"…who were deceived by him, promising he would resolve this country's problems like he had Aladdin's magic lamp." – By the end, they were shouting at each other, creating sufficient turmoil at the hall that it got everyone's attention.

Noticing their discussion had grabbed everybody's attention, they became silent, diverting looks, embarrassed: they waited until everything was restored to normality and people around them continued their lives.

She looked at her father, right in his eyes. –"I won't rest until this stupid witch hunt ends and the truth comes out. Remember General, it's not the military who start the war, it's the politicians." – She walked away wrathfully leaving her father.

Soon he arrived at his house in Alaska: he sat on his couch and put his hands on his face, almost despaired. He had to forge a new identity, living a new life, alone at the end of civilization without a possibility to contact his old friends and friend. He could, using his alter-ego, Superman but even that was too risky. His situation was far from ideal: Clark Kent was dead to the world and Superman was considered as a murderer and an alien with world conquer intentions and far worse, the woman he loved was having doubts about him.

He had lived some crisis in his past but it seemed this time, it was the worst. He continued to look for a path, a course of action to take but the sound of the front door opening distracted him from his problem.

He got up. – "Hello?" – Suddenly a man came into his living room and the sight left him, perplexed.

"Corben?" - He couldn't possibly believe what he was seeing: he saw Corben dying months ago from a massive heart attack from abusing of Dragon Eye's power.

"Target acquired: Charles Joseph King is identified as Clark Jerome Kent." – A coldness voice came out of Corben.

With a blink of an eye, Corben approached Clark and grabbed him by his throat, catching Clark completely off guard. The cold hand tried to snap his neck but Clark reacted, punching Corben's face but the hit didn't quite produce the results he intended.

He was feeling weak by the moment and knew only thing could make him feel weaker: kryptonite.

Corben, who was standing in front of him, grabbed him once again and tossed across the living room, smashing the kitchen wall and falling in the kitchen's floor. He shook his head and he recovered, seeing Corben on the other side of the house.

"Who sent you?" – Clark asked, trying to buy some time: he knew if Corben came too near of him and too long, it was a matter of time. He x-rayed Corben and he became even more shocked: it seemed Corben was no longer human but instead, he was a machine, similar to a man he encountered once and helped him, Victor Stone but it had a bigger problem: it had sufficient lead to cover himself and so he couldn't see what Corben was really made of. He had one sure: Corben was no longer human and somehow he had kryptonite with him.

"Irrelevant." – Corben stated, unemotionally: again he invested against Clark but then Clark wasn't caught off guard and managed to divert his attack and punched him, tossing him several meters away, smashing one of the house's exterior walls but immediately Corben recovered.

"Who sent you Corben?" – Clark insisted but he had a suspicion: Lex Luthor. He just wanted to confirm his suspicions.

"Your question is irrelevant. The name is METALLO v 1.01." – Metallo tried once more an attack and Clark was able to block the attack but he sensed his strength fading away and so he punched again Metallo without boundaries and Metallo was thrown several meters away.

Slightly disorientated, Clark walked outside and ran erratically right into the middle of the road where a car stopped right in front of him. A familiar face came out of the car. – " C.K?" - Lori: he couldn't determine if it was good luck to him or if it was bad luck for her but he was sure of one thing: they couldn't stay there any longer.

"Are you okay? You look like hell." – She stated, badly impressed by Clark.

"We need to get out of here now." – said Clark: somehow, Lori knew he was too serious to joke and immediately complied.

"Get in the car." – Both got inside the car and Lori stepped on the accelerator, leaving rapidly Clark's house behind. As they distanced from the house, Clark looked behind, worried: each time Metallo was close to him, it left him weaker.

Suddenly Metallo was at the middle of the road and surely identified him because he began running in their direction and it was coming fast.

"Faster!" - Clark exclaimed to Lori.

"Any faster than this and the car will disintegrate" – she replied: again Clark looked behind but Metallo wasn't there anymore.

"Great Atlantis!" –Lori shouted: instead Metallo had jumped right to their fronts, forcing Lori to divert at the last moment, driving almost outside of the road and they passed so close to Metallo that by extending his arm, he ripped off the ceiling of the car.

It took a few more seconds for Lori to drive her car back to the road but Metallo chased them and jumped, landing on the car in motion: immediately his attention focused on Clark and grabbed him. Clark struggled but he was forced to jump with Metallo who as soon they were in the middle of the road, Metallo tossed Clark causing Clark to hit a tree, causing its fall.

He fell: he shook his head dizzy and he looked behind where he saw Metallo approaching, coming from the road but fortunately for him, Metallo didn't see a car coming in Metallo's direction and Metallo was hit by the car.

"Run C.K!" – Lori shouted from the middle of the road: Although he knew it was killing him for leaving Lori behind, he recognized the best action to take was to run away from Lori and Metallo hoping Metallo would chase him and ignore Lori, allowing her to live.

He waved to her, saying goodbye and turned around and ran away as fast as he could: he never stopped running knowing nothing would stop that machine but once he saw the harbor, he gained a new hope and headed there. As he approached the harbor, he looked behind and saw Metallo on his trail but still far but it wasn't sufficiently far to lose his track.

Stopping at the docks, he saw a ship already at sea, leaving the harbor: he took balance and leaped in a single bound to get into the ship: he barely make it.

Metallo wasn't far behind and observed Clark's jump into the ship and without delays he too, jumped and with success, Metallo reached the ship for Clark's surprise.

The ship wasn't very large but it was prepared to hunt whales with the two canons, one in each side but right there in that ship, a prey and a hunter were fighting against each other.

Clark on one side and Metallo on the opposite side while the crew was static in fear: Metallo jumped to attack Clark but Clark managed to divert its attack but became weaker and by the moment, Metallo's attacks were more effective with its cold hand steel punching Clark's face.

Then Metallo grabbed Clark by his throat and began choking him, pressing him against the canon harpoon. His powers were failing and his strength was abandoning him but looking at very own canon, it created a window opportunity.

Clark managed to turn the canon to direct it against Metallo: Clark punched Metallo frantically until it gave in a little, allowing Clark to shoot the canon with harpoon right in Metallo's chest, projecting it several feet but it wasn't sufficient. Metallo fell on the opposite side of the ship but for the first time it took for Metallo to recover giving Clark a second chance to recover.

As slowly as Metallo got up, Clark got up too and Metallo made another attack but Clark escaped and with the second canon, he shot Metallo tossing it outside the ship and in spite of efforts, Metallo sank into deeps of the ocean while Clark lay down, almost breathless.

"Your hunt license has just been revoked." – Clark stated.

"How's the deadline?"

"18 hours to end, Mr. President." – His secretary replied.

"Fine, you can leave. Call Dr. Alistair Krieg: I wish to speak with him."

"Yes, sir." – The secretary left the room, leaving Lex alone in his office. He was beginning to count every hour, every minute, and every second: the 48 hour deadline was then too big for him, at least he thought.

He wished the deadline was over but it was necessary: He didn't want anybody to think it was a personal vendetta and so he couldn't let emotion cloud his own judgment.

The knock in the door pulled him back to reality. –"Come in."

"Mr. President, Dr. Alistair Krieg." – The doctor came in and the secretary closed the door, leaving those two alone.

"Any report on the trial status?" – Lex asked, distrustfully: Charles King or Clark Kent wasn't too hard to find and he heard no news about that situation.

"Our tracking device displays Metallo is still in Alaska, slightly erratic." – Dr. Krieg gulped at his last word, under pressure.

"What do you mean?" – Lex asked, with eyes wild opened, concluding something was definitely wrong.

"It could be a power failure or a mechanical problem or the object of pursuit was able to defeat it…"

"RIDICULOUS!" – Lex shouted, punching the table heatedly. –"It's not a bumbling reporter who's going to take down a 200 million dollar project designed to take out Superman." – Lex paused for a moment but then he pointed to the doctor. – "You're going to Alaska personally, to retrieve Metallo immediately. Fix it."

"But Mr. President…"

"I'm giving you a direct order, an order from the President of United States of America. I expected nothing less than blind obedience…" – Lex looked at him in the eyes, ferociously and doctor became static in fear, looking at those eyes full with rage.

"What are you waiting for?"

Her memory was still fuzzy when it came to remember Superman's attempt to kill Lex but the tape that one of the TV. Journalists had borrowed to her offered her the possibility to analyze better the whole situation.

For hours, she pressed the rewind and the forward button innumerous types to see all details in that tape, to figure out anything of the ordinary: eyes fixed on the screen trying to decipher his behavior since his posture to his speech, his cape and tights to his eyes.

She grabbed another slice of the pizza which was on the table and began eating it without ever looking the other way: then it was playing the moment he grabbed her by the arm and ripped of her watch. She touched her bruised arm, a painful memory, almost an act of betrayal and the final moments of the tape showed her once again her being thrown and fainted while he turned away and kept looking for Luthor. He continued his search for a few moments but then he flew away. The camera tried to follow him but it was too late and afterwards, the camera picked up images worthy of any war: cars destroyed, people laying down, dead. Suddenly the camera picked again Superman next to her, grabbing her carefully and immediately flew away with her.

She stopped the tape after eating the last piece of the pizza's slice: the footage was somehow blowing her mind off. The logic dictated Superman was there to kill Lex no matter how badly were the consequences even if it meant hurting her but the heart told her it couldn't be possible: Clark Kent/Superman would never heart her unless…

"Red Kryptonite!" – She shouted: Martha had told her once all about red Kryptonite and Clark's behavior when he was under that sort of spell: Clark and Alicia's marriage in Vegas or his exile in Metropolis when he was sixteen.

"If that was the case I'd still under its influence and I'd remember it but I didn't even do it." – He stated from the open window, floating outside her apartment.

"May I?"

"Yeah Sure…" – he entered in her apartment and landed. He walked towards Lois and grabbed the remote control and pressed the rewind button and played again the tape.

Silently they watched until the moment Superman picked her and left the scene carrying her in his arms.

"See? That's me over there carrying you…" – he stated. He looked at her, his hand touched her cheek. – "I would never hurt you." – He assured her.

"I know." – She confessed: she rested her head in his chest while his arms embraced her.

"Thank you for believing in me." – He whispered.

"_I would never hurt you."_

"_I would never hurt you."_

"_I would never hurt you."_

The phrase assaulted her mind. - "Wait…" – she went to see the papers all spread out and frantically she searched until she picked the one she wanted. – "Thaddeus Killgrave, Dabney Donovan, geneticists, Cadmus Lab, LuthorCorp, a being like you with the same powers…it's a clone! No Duh!"

He remained silent: it was the best plausible explanation for someone he could see and wasn't a mere mirror's reflection. Then he put all the pieces together and knew what was coming.

"Lex's fraying me." – He concluded. – "He wants a war and he found a way to create it." – The sudden reality shocked him: he knew Lex Luthor was able to do nasty things but to chase him based on a forged reality Lex had created and willing to go to war was definitely something he didn't expect.

She saw him momentarily stumped and walked to him and held his face with her cheeks. – "We're going to prove you're innocent." – She assured him.

He saw her so strong, so determined and that courage, that strength inspired him and he smiled at her.

"No…" – She raised an eyebrow, confused with his affirmation but he continued. – "You're going to prove I'm innocent. All we got is still circumstantial. You need to get evidence."

"What? What are you saying? What are you going to do?" – She looked at him, still confused, searching for an answer.

"Whatever you do, be careful. I'm counting on you."- He kissed her passionately like if it was the last time he would ever kiss her again.

After the kiss, he turned around and headed to the window.

She out ran him and stay right in front of him. – "Where are you going?"

"To stop a war." – He declared and passed at her side and flew away.

From time to time, he looked at the watch: nervousness, anxiety but also the excitement of beginning what he wanted for so long. A crusade against a god who didn't want to share his power with the common man.

"How much time is left?" – asked Lex.

"Less than 2 hours…" – Mercy stated. Suddenly a knock was heard.

"Come in."

The secretary got in, nervously. – "Mr. President, I've got news for you sir."

The secretary remained silent, nervously.

"Well woman, what do you have to say?" – He asked impatiently.

"Superman has turned himself onto the authorities."

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

"HE DID WHAT?" – Lex shouted, incredulous: he had planned everything to its infinitesimal detail but he never thought Superman would actually surrender. It actually took him a few moments to process that new reality he didn't expect.

"Where is he?" – He asked, knowing what he had to do.

"Stryker's Island Meta-Human Prison, near Metropolis." – The secretary answered.

"I want Air Force One ready within an hour."

"Yes sir."

"And call the Prison's Director; I want to speak with him."

She woke up in next morning: she hadn't a goodnight sleep because his last words made her unease. Either way, he did make a point: it was vital to arrange evidence for Luthor's farce before a war was upon the country and Superman.

Quickly she dressed and picked her purse and a little touch in her hair, she was ready to go to the Planet. She opened the car's door and sat. She turned on the radio and the news shocked her.

"…_where Superman is currently being held prisoner. According to inside sources, Superman turned himself to the authorities near the Air Force base located outside Metropolis. I remember: Superman is accused of treason and murder attempt of the President of the United States of America, Lex Luthor…"_

She turned off the radio. – "Please God, tell me he didn't do it…" – frustrated, she rested her head on the wheel. Then it made perfect sense for her, the last words he said to her the night before.

She shook her head and turned the ignition of the car on and drove her car insanely fast to the Daily Planet ignoring traffic rules, red signs, jaywalks: once she arrived at the Planet she didn't even bother to wait for the elevator and took the stairs.

Rapidly, she arrived at the floor where many people were looking at the TV screens across the room: she looked into the small crowd and saw Jimmy focused on the TV.

She walked towards him and grabbed him, finally catching his attention. He realized immediately she heard the news.

"How long ago was it?"

"Seven hours ago: He's being held at Stryker's Prison."

"The hi-tech jail for the meta-humans…" – she knew well the facility as she was the only member of the press to get an exclusive story about it and still her visit was back then every restrict cue to security measures. When it came to maximum security prisons, Stryker's Island was the top notch, one of the LexCorp inventions.

She shook her head and headed to her desk where she began searching her file with the research. She knew there wasn't any time to lose if she wanted to prove his innocence but she opened the file, she didn't know where to start.

Thaddeus Killgrave was dead and Dabney Donovan was nowhere to be found and any evidence which Thaddeus claimed to have, was destroyed along with his apartment. 

Jimmy came close to Lois and glanced at her monitor. – "What are you looking for?"

"Something which can show the light at the end of tunnel…" – Jimmy noticed Lois was picking up again the same matter she was investigating before the attack upon LexCorp.

"What is this have to do with Superman?" – Jimmy asked, confused.

"Everything." – She replied, flatly. She forced Jimmy to sit at her side. – "Listen, all of this is connected. Thaddeus Killgrave, the Lexcorp Attack, the attempt on Lex Luthor: Superman isn't behind the attacks. Lex is." – Jimmy glared oddly at Lois.

"Why would the President of the states of America be putting his own life at risk? And if that wasn't Superman, who was that guy?"

"Someone Lex could control: a clone." – Jimmy looked carefully at Lois: he didn't know if Lois was either mocking him or being dangerously delusional.

"Don't you think what you're saying is wishful thinking?" – She expected that kind of reaction from him: it was going to be very hard to convince anyone about what she thought when she too had doubts on her own.

"Listen Jimmy: I'm not going to ask you to believe in me, I won't but if you don't believe in me, stay out of my way and let me do my job." – She knew she sounded harsh but it was a necessary evil: either she had Jimmy fully committed, working with her or she had to let him go, not involving him anymore and do all the things by herself.

Jimmy faced moments of hesitation: he knew Luthor was no saint but actually risking his own life just to prove a point and willing go to a war sounded far fetched. Besides, he could lose his job like others colleagues. However, Lois had never let him down and had covered him in some risky situations before.

"I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt." – He stated.

"I knew you would." – She smiled.

"So what do you want me to do?" – He asked.

"Go to Star Labs and ask about cloning and if it's possible to replicate Superman's DNA." – She grabbed her purse and put all of her files into it and Jimmy observed.

"Where are you going?"

"Stryker's Prison." – She declared.

They had arrived to Dillingham, Alaska for few hours: a small and discreet team with the gold to retrieve Metallo from the ocean. The President was less than satisfied with the fact of Metallo being at the bottom of the ocean.

The team led by Dr. Alistair Krieg was at the harbor nearby the small navy ship where Metallo had been recovered and it was being subjected to tests.

His cell phone rang and he visualized who was calling him: it was his direct chief: General Sam Lane.

"Yes, general? We recovered The Metallo Unit two hours ago and we are proceeding a full scan to detect any malfunction…Well it did sustained some damage which could be related to any sort of processing malfunction…I know sir? " – suddenly part of the ship exploded leaving Alistair Krieg completely dumbfounded. He noticed a shadow coming out of the ship and landing a few meters away from him.

Alistair didn't even move, looking at it: he recognized who it was and immediately went to it, hanging up the phone.

"Metallo, what happened?" – The machine looked at him oddly.

"I know you…"- it took a few moments but finally the machine recognized him. – "Dr. Alistair Krieg…" – he grabbed Alistair by his throat. – "Your Frankstein experiment paid off…but I remember everything, I'm John Corben." – He lifted Alistair. – "Like the book, the creation kills the creator. There are 173 different ways to kill you right now. Pick one, I'm not hard to please." – Choking to death, Alistair wasn't able to speak no matter how hard he tried.

"Since you don't have ideas, I'll choose one for you." – While grabbing Alistair with one hand, Metallo ripped off violently Alistair's heart from his chest and tossed his dead body to the ocean while holding the heart with the other hand.

"I guess some people were right about me all along: I am a heartless bastard."

The Stryker's Island had only one access and that one was made by ship: a small island located in the middle of the river which divided Metropolis in two halfs. She drove to the Metropolis harbor expecting to go the prison but once the arrived at the harbor, access was denied.

"What do you mean I can't go there and make a visit?" – She asked, undignified, arms crossed.

"Sorry madam but those are the orders. No visits are allowed. " – She knew it was useless to persist but she also knew that kind of behavior had to do with one man: Lex Luthor.

Like her, many other reporters were located at the Metropolis harbor waiting any kind of news coming from the prison but nothing came of that prison except silence. She walked back to her car and lost any hope to contact at least for any time soon. Then she remembered which could help her. Immediately she grabbed her cell phone and dialed.

"Hello Jimmy? Do you still have your watch which Superman gave to you?"

"Yeah? Or your way back to the Planet, please stop by the Metropolis harbor…yeah, Bye." – She hung up and waited impatiently for Jimmy: it took an half an hour for Jimmy to arrive at the Metropolis harbor. Slightly lost, Jimmy looked around in the middle of the crowd but he only found Lois when she yelled waving at him. - "Over here!"

Curiously, Lois was a little outside the crowd of journalists, right next to her car: He ran in her direction until he reached her. – "What do you want that watch for?" – He asked, curious, handling his watch to Lois.

"I need him to listen to me." – He raised an eyebrow, slightly confused but quickly the confusion faded away. – "How was it at S.T.A.R labs?" – Lois asked as she began pressing the watch's help button.

"It looks promising…According to Professor Klein, the only thing that keeps stopping scientists from cloning is the law but Professor Klein also told that cloning someone like Superman is impossible since part of Superman's DNA is not decipherable."

"I do know what I saw and it was one hell of 3-D copy…"- She stated, looking at Jimmy, completely not convinced.

"I'll go back to the Planet and add the interview to the rest of the stuff. Is there any else would you like me to do?"

"Yes, you can. You can start digging all the Government facilities which could harbor a project like Superman cloning."

"Yeah, sure. Bye." – He turned around but stopped once Lois talked to him.

"Hey Jimmy? Thanks." – He smiled at Lois's sincere gratitude since it was something uncommon in her.

As Jimmy left the harbor, she got into the car and focused on the watch: she pressed the help button again. By then, he must have listened to the signal.

"I hope this works." – She declared hopeful. – "By now, you must have heard the signal and focused your ears to hear from where it was coming and now you are listening to me." – She paused for a second and took a deep breath, having faith he was listening to her.

"What the hell were you thinking when you turned yourself into the devil's clutches? How can I prove your innocence?" – She shook her head, slightly beaten. – "How can I do it? If you aren't here, by my side…" – The anger almost turned into despair but just for brief moments because she answered at her own question. – "…I know, I know because you chose to believe in me like I believe in you."

She raised her head and looked at her front, more decided than ever. – "Fine, …but you better make up to it when I get you a free pass out of there." – She was about to turn the ignition on when something caught her attention. More and more police reinforcements kept coming which meant something important was about to happen. Soon the entire harbor was filled by the police and a straight corridor was made the police.

"Wait, something's happening." – She declared still hoping Superman would hear her. Minutes after, the river's coast along both sides and the river itself was filled by Metropolis P.D patrols and above her head, a helicopter passed on its way to the prison.

"You've got visits, Smallville." – She declared.

It had past some hours after detention: although he had been arrested before, he perfectly knew that time was too serious. He fought crime and corruption more times he could count but then, he was on the other side like any hateful criminal, treated with anger and despise, insulted. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but the Lex Luthor's manufactured lies made sure it was going to be harder than he thought.

Alone in a large cell, restrained against the wall with arms and legs in a "X" shape for several hours, something caught his attention: Jimmy's signal watch. He used his super-audition and then something gave him some comfort: her voice. It felt so good to hear her voice once more even she was slightly mad at him for telling her that he was going to surrender to avoid a war with innocent casualties. He believed in her to show the truth: if she couldn't, nobody could. Smart, witty, intelligent, she had a smile he fell in love with: he imagined her standing right in front of him as she was talking to him. However, he stopped imaging once he heard her final words before the talk ended.

"_You've got visits, Smallville." _

And she wasn't wrong: minutes after, the door of his cell opened and two men appeared pointing their guns at him before he came in: Lex Luthor.

Lex smiled confident with a superiority feeling at him; with him was a woman he knew before but couldn't remember who she was. Lex looked at the two men.

"Leave!" – The two men were dumbfounded at him but respected his decision and left the cell.

Lex looked again at Superman and took two steps forward. – "Well…16 months of planning for this: Mercy…" – she opened a box which had inside several objects with different shapes and she began to bond them.

"Finally, face to face!" – Lex declared, enthusiastically. – "I remember when it all started. Do you remember? That day in Metropolis, at LexCorp…What did you say back then? Aww, right…"

"…_someday you'll slip and then I'll come for you." _

Superman remained silent and it didn't stop Lex. – "You slipped and I came for you."

"Isn't that the way to handle things? Like you tried with Clark Kent?" – Superman broke his silence, finally.

"Wow, Mercy, he talks." – Lex remarked sarcastically. – "Clark Kent you say?" – Lex began walking around him like the beast surrounding the prey before the final attack. – "How did you know about that? I wonder…maybe you two have been working around since the very beginning: perhaps you were his big secret after all, Naman."

Suddenly something caught Superman's attention: Jimmy's watch was again ringing.

"You can't imagine the planning I had to do just to see you right here."

"I'm flattered." – Superman remarked ironically.

"Well you should." – Finally at Lex's side, Mercy completed her task: a gun and she handle it to Lex with a clip of ammunition.

Lex redrew one bullet, a green bullet. – "you do know what this is, don't you?"

His attention was then divided: in his front, Lex held a gun with a green kryptonite bullet, the only thing which could kill him in matter of seconds but Jimmy's watch still ringing meant also problems. Suddenly he heard a major landing and heard shooting from outside.

"Kryptonite." – Superman declared, flatly.

"Is that what you call it? Interesting…" – Lex looked at the green bullet for brief moments. Then he loaded the gun and aimed at Superman. – "Now I understand what my father once said: Their home is their only poison."

Suddenly the prison's siren was heard all around and immediately two teams of security guards entered the cell and two men came close to Lex.

" , you have to leave the building. It's no longer safe for you to be here." – One of them declared. The two menhe loaded the gun and aimed at Superman. fgfgfgfwwww grabbed Lex and began dragging him out of the cell and Lex fought back and with his gun he shot the two men and then he aimed the gun to his security team.

"I'm not leaving until I finish that alien filth. I'm President of the United States! I'll do what I want." – Lex shouted, eyes wide open, angered, in a clear state of madness. He turned around to kill Superman but one of the walls of the cell collapsed throwing debris inside the cell catching Lex, Mercy and the rest of the security team.

"There was a family reunion and no one told me? I'm hurt…" – the clouds of dust wouldn't let anyone know who the unexpected guest was except for Superman.

"Metallo!" – Superman shouted.

Quickly, Metallo came close to Superman who was still restrained to one of the walls of the cell. –"You know my new nickname." – And he punched Superman right in his face. – "Hold on a second." – Metallo turned around and looked at Lex who was lay down on the ground, still conscious but dizzy opposing to the rest of the team which was unconscious.

Although shaky, Lex was able to grab his gun and aimed at Superman but Metallo was right in front of him. – "Get out of my way. I'm ordering you." – Metallo laughed at Lex's orders and grabbed him by his throat, lifted him and pressed him against the wall.

"I remember everything you did to me and so, I want you to remember me for the rest of you shorten life." – Metallo grabbed Lex right hand which was holding the gun and he smashed Lex's right hand bonding it to the gun loaded with kryptonite ammunition.

"AAAARRRRHHHRRRGGG!" – Lex yelled in pain, an unbearable pain.

"Sorry Lex but the boy scout in tights behind me needs my attention." - Then Metallo turned his attention again to Superman and once again Metallo came close to Superman. – "Where were we? Right…" – He began punching Superman repeatedly until he had his hand full of blood.

"This is no fun…" – Metallo ripped the restraints which held Superman and then he grabbed Superman who was dizzy from the consecutive punched he suffered. With a right hook, Metallo punched Superman throwing him away, smashing several walls stopping only at the main hall of the prison.

Metallo ran through the holes of the walls until he reached the main hall where he saw Superman on his knees, trembling. Confident he walked to Superman but the security teams from prison attacked him, shooting him. Although they tried hard, the attacks were ineffective, bullets bouncing of them and he looked at them: He grabbed a forgotten gun on the floor and began shooting at the guards, killing them one by one.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." – He declared, teasing, after shooting at all the guards who opposed him. He came close to Superman and walked around him. – "You know, there's something I've been to ask you since I left Alaska, hours ago: Are you Schizophrenic? Multiple personality disorder?"

Still slightly dizzy, Superman looked at him confused and Metallo understood his confusion and continued. – "Superman, Charles King, Clark Kent…how many are inside that head of yours?" – Superman looked at him, eyes wide opened, surprised about Metallo's revelation and Metallo comprehended it.

"Oh yes!...I know: although I'm a tin man now, my memory files don't fail me. I remember our first round back in Alaska: now it's time for round two!" – Metallo kicked Superman, tossing him again, smashing another wall where was on the other side a gas tank deposit. Convinced about Superman's no escape, Metallo walked normally to Superman but once he arrived at the gas tank Superman was nowhere to be found.

"Don't make me say the cliché: You can run but you can't hide." – He took two steps forward to see where Superman was but nothing.

"You talk too much." – A voice declared which Metallo recognized immediately: he turned around to see Superman already using his heat vision and the gas tank exploded causing a massive explosion, throwing Metallo away, to outside the prison, falling into the river.

Superman knew he had a window opportunity but he still hesitated: he knew if he stayed, Lex would kill him but if he ran away, a war would start. There was no time left for more hesitations: His powers were at minimum and at any minute Metallo would return.

He looked up to the sky and leap in a single bound to river to avoid the Metropolis P.D was patrolling the river's coasts and also Metallo: he fell into the water vanishing in the deeps of the river.

Mercy woke up only to see Lex in a fetal position, in pain for his crushed hand.

"I need medical attention!" – She yelled, in despair: She fell on her knees next to Lex and held him.

"Mercy…" - he tried to articulate some words but the pain was almost unbearable. – "…I want him…I want Superman…dead or alive…1 billion dollars reward…"

"I got it Lex: now rest…"

"Mercy?..."

"Yes?" – She asked, seeing the rage in his eyes.

"I prefer him dead."

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

"…_A reward of 1 billion dollars to anyone who captures or kills Superman. The White House spokesman made it official this morning after some speculation during the night after Superman escaped from the Stryker's Island, Metropolis meta-human prison. President Luthor was wounded during the escape but his condition is stable. However, his location is unknown…"_

She turned away from the TV, disgusted with news distortion. Luthor had spread his influence across the media including the paper she worked for: The Daily Planet. - "Is everyone blinded? A guy in a single bound leaped to that prison and bam! Third World War..."

She sat on her desk and looked at the front page, frustrated. – "S***!". – The frustration became rage and she grabbed the paper and tossed to the trash can next to her desk. She considered resigning the night before but between the angst of knowing nothing about Superman's condition, the anger of hearing the distorted rumors about Superman and speculation of a prize for Superman's head, she decided to let the dust settle down a bit.

She felt a little lost with all the recent events and especially since she had a lot of circumstantial evidence but nothing concrete to put against Luthor: fortunately for her, there was a small light at the end of tunnel.

"I've got it!" – Jimmy shouted, walking to her, bringing his laptop.

He was one of her last hopes: Jimmy wasn't far away when Metallo arrived at the Metropolis harbour the day before and while Metallo fought and defeated rapidly Metropolis P.D before he leaped into Stryker's island, it gave time for Jimmy to go back and take a few photos.

He put the laptop on her desk and opened it, revealing the photos he had taken. – "There weren't much to work with and this one has what you want." – She leaned forward, focusing all her attention on the best cleared image Jimmy had worked with and what she saw, made her astonished.

"Do you know him?" – Jimmy asked seeing Lois's dumbfounded face.

"It's Corben, don't you remember?" – Lois asked Jimmy but Jimmy's blank expression left her disappointed but she insisted. – "Remember Metropolis's downtown smackdown between him and Superman, almost two years ago?"

"Yeah, I remember that." – It was still fuzzy for Jimmy but Lois's mention revived his memory. – Didn't he die about around then?"

"Is it just me or are we witnessing the rise of the living-dead?"

"Anyway, I've got to go to the Metropolis General Hospital's morgue to spot the coroner's records to see if there's anything missing." – She grabbed her purse and took her car keys and headed to the elevator.

"I'll go with you in a minute. Let me get my camera." – Jimmy affirmed , already walking towards his desk.

"I'll meet you downstairs." – She declared when she was already at the elevator. The door closed and she grabbed her cell phone and dialled.

"Hello? This is Lois Lane of the Daily Planet. I wish to speak with Senator Pete Ross."

"…_due to security measures the President's location is classified and it's unclear whether the Vice-President will assume leadership or President Luthor will continue. Meanwhile every military force began preparations for what appears to be a full war against the Man of Steel and there's been some speculation about the implementation of martial law in the major U.S cities…"_

He shut down the T.V: the worst case scenario his best friend had feared had become a reality. He got up and walked to the window from where he could see some anxiety in the streets. He too felt the anxiety for the outcome of this war scenario and manhunt: the previous day's news left him concerned but a small message addressed to him hours later cheered him up a little.

"Fly Crows, Fly."

By reading the message, he knew where to go. Suddenly someone knocked at the door.

"Yes?"

The door opened and his secretary entered. - "Senator Ross? There's a Lois Lane from the Daily Planet who wishes to speak with you sir. What should I say?"

Pete knew Lois's intentions but she had to wait. – "Tell her that I had to solve family matters. She'll understand. I'm leaving now: so any calls, take a message and when I get back, I call back."

"Yes sir, I'll notify the security…"

"No…" – Pete interrupted. – "I'm going alone: there is no discussion." – His serious made his assistant immediately understand, he wanted to go alone.

He grabbed his coat and his car key and left the office, heading to the parking lot. He entered inside the car: the journey was going to be long since the distance between Topeka and Smallville was a little longer than the distance between Metropolis and Smallville.

Lois hung up the phone: Ross's secretary told her he wasn't available due to family issues. She took the elevator and headed for the parking lot where Jimmy was already waiting for her to go to the Metropolis Morgue to find any clue about Corben's apparent resurrection.

They entered in her care and exited the Daily Planet parking lot and headed to the morgue.

"Do you know anyone who can show us the morgue records? I mean, it's confidential: they don't let anyone near those files except the cops."

"You don't have to be a guest to enter someone's house, do you?" – She showed a sly smile to Jimmy which Jimmy fully comprehended.

"I see…"

They were the first ones to stop at a red sign in a cross road: they waited a couple of minutes and the sign shifted from red to green again and they were about to take off, a black van coming from the left side stopped right in front of them, blocked their way: one of the van's doors opened and two masked individuals stepped out with machine guns and pointed them at Lois and Jimmy.

"Get out of the car, now!" – One of them shouted aggressively to Lois and Jimmy. Jimmy tried to press the help button in his watch for Superman's aid but one of the masked individuals anticipated him.

"Don't even think about it or your brains will be splashed all over the car!"

Both Lois and Jimmy put their hands up in the air while the two individuals opened the car's doors and both exited. A third masked individual came out of the van and came close to them.

"I need her and his watch." – The third individual declared while pointing at Jimmy's watch. Then the individual next to Jimmy took his watch and with the back of the gun, hit Jimmy and he collapsed.

"Hey, wait! Don't…" – terrified about the possibility of Jimmy being killed right there, she shouted but she felt a prick of a needle in her neck and the substance entered in her blood stream causing almost immediate effect and she fainted.

"Let's go people!" – The third masked individual yelled and the remaining individuals dragged Lois into the van and left the scene leaving Jimmy lay down on the road, unconscious next to Lois's car.

Hours later, He arrived at his old high school, a place he last visited at the elections for the senate. It was Saturday therefore Smallville High was empty: he looked at the main building and instantly he smiled, recalling some of his memories, times when he along with Clark and Chloe investigated the Smallville's paranormal phenomenons, just the Scooby Doo gang.

He parked the car and walked into the building: the main door was opened and walking through the corridors of Smallville High, he searched quietly for his old friend, looking for an open door or any sort of indication which could lead him to his friend.

After a few minutes, he started wondering if he misunderstood the message sent to him but a voice relieved him from that burden.

"Fly Crows, fly."

He turned around to see his old friend Clark Kent standing in the middle of corridor.

"It's good to see you again, pal." - They hugged.

"How are you holding up?" – Pete asked, observing carefully Clark.

"I've been better…" – Clark confessed, still slightly shaken: he never thought his rendez-vous with Metallo and Lex could leave him so exhausted. Although he needed the time to rest, time was a luxury he couldn't afford to.

"I've been watching the news and at each hour it passes, things are getting worse: the military are prepared for war, there's a reward for you. People are scared, Clark." – Pete shook his head in sign of disappointment.

"I'm not the villain of the story, Pete." – Clark replied, bitterly but he realized he was talking to friend and apologized. – "I'm sorry…"

"That's ok, I can't blame you." – He assured Clark with his hand on Clark's shoulder.

"How is Chloe?"

"Well she's busy trying to find to good evidence to bring down Luthor. She's working overtime."

"I just wished she could get her old life back." – Clark confessed with some sorrow.

"Like you she's been one of Lex's victims." – Pete stated. – "Anyway, I'm here: What can I get you?"

Clark looked seriously at Pete. – "I need Chloe to dig information about John Corben or anything related to the word Metallo."

Pete looked oddly at Clark. – "Corben? Isn't he dead?"

Clark saw the confusion on Pete's face and explained. - "I thought that too until I saw him and he nearly killed me."

"How?"- He was somehow sceptical about Clark's statement: he had a mental picture of his friend being unstoppable, a true force of nature which could be only stopped if someone existed like him or kryptonite. – "Has he Dragon Eye again?"

"No." – Clark shook his head, negatively. - "He has been transformed into some kind of cyborg and I'm sure Lex had something to do with it."

Pete saw no other option than the one Clark was pointing out. - "OK, I'm telling Chloe to look into it. Meanwhile you have to stay off radar: I don't you to take any unnecessary risks. There's a full scale war against you."

Clark shook his head, unconvinced. – "You can't expect me to stand still, hidden like a rat in his hole when I need to prove my innocence."How?"How?

Instantly Pete knew where the conversation has going to. -"Not when there's a full set of traps outside your hole! It's not the just the government who's after you. The underworld is on to you too: rumours of several criminals joining forces jut to get you to collect the prize and a full pardon. Besides, Chloe's on the trail."

"I can't depend on Chloe's investigation: I need to confront Luthor, to force him to open his game, to make a mistake." – Clark insisted: he always hated to be all quiet when it came to Luthor but his life had too many twists and turns.

"I agree with you in some points but I need to remind you that Luthor planned with every detail whatever he had in his mind, for months. Any hostile action will definitely reinforce his position and give him, more power."

Pete observed his best friend: clearly Clark was thinking of something but Pete was unable to decipher whatever Clark was thinking. After a few moments, Clark began shaking his head in a sign of a possible solution for his dilemma.

"You're right: I can't be hostile but I can still force Luthor to open his game." – He ran backwards while he continued to talk with Pete. – "Find what you can about Metallo!" – He could no longer be impassive and numb to the situation he was facing: he need to go offense.

"Clark! Clark!" – Pete tried to chase Clark but at turn of corner, Pete no longer saw his friend.

Quickly he changed the suit revealing the big red cape and its symbol, leaving his friend behind: up, up and away, he headed to the skies, going far beyond the birds and the clouds, reaching the silence of space.

He closed his eyes, focusing his audition to hear the right word, the right voice. – "_…President Luthor's condition… it's unclear President Luthor is…How's the President?...The President only receives…I don't care, I'm Lex Luthor, the President of the United States!…"_

Superman found what he was looking for: blocking every voice except one, resolute, he flew straight ahead towards the voice, the people he wanted to find without any delay, focusing all his attention in that voice.

He was aboard of what it could be the most expensive plane on the entire planet: the Air Force One. It had become a second home for him since the election and since he was attacked, his security made him felt like a nomad, shifting from a place to another, restrictions imposed to him because he was the leader of the free world.

Alone in his room, enjoying his 29 year old kyland scotch, he was reading the latest memos about Superman's possible hideouts but he couldn't help remembering what happened before at Stryker's Prison: he looked at his right arm and the mind almost played tricks on him. It felt he still had his right hand but the pain and the dramatic memory told me otherwise. War was claiming its price and in his case, the right hand was its cost. He felt rage, wrath not only because Metallo, a creation of his own, had smashed his hand forcing the medical staff to amputate his hand but also he had let slip the opportunity to bring down Superman. but an incoming call interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.

"Mr. President: There's a call from Dr. Dabney Donovan. He says it's urgent."

"I'll take it: Pass it through." – He waited until the videophone aired the image of Dr. Donovan. - "Dr. Donovan…What seems to be the problem?"

"Mr. President, the subject of the project is becoming highly unstable…"

"Dr. Donovan!..." - Lex shouted at Donovan, interrupting him. – "Project B.I.Z.A.R.R.O is closed, effected immediately. The project has served its purpose and no longer its services required. Dismantle the project and do whatever it takes to neutralize the subject…" – he wasn't able to continue as the connection was somehow lost.

Suddenly the door opened and two security guards entered in Lex's office, stressfully.

"Haven't you ever heard to knock before you enter?" – Asked Lex, bothered with the interruption.

"Sir, an unidentified object is approaching Air Force One and it's coming fast. It's safer if we go to the escape pod in case of evacuation."

For a few moments, Lex turned his attention to Donovan and the broken link, finding oddly the abrupt interruption from Donovan. Without delay, Lex got up and exited the room but he didn't follow the guards' suggestion. Instead he went to the pilot cabinet in spite of the guards' protests.

"What is it?" – Lex asked as soon he arrived at the pilot's cabinet.

"An unidentified object is approaching Air Force One but two planes of our escort have been dispatched to intercept the object and neutralize it." – declared one of the pilots.

"What could it be? Bird? Plane?" – asked the other pilot.

"Let me talk to the F-117's pilots." – Lex grabbed the comm. Link and talked. – "Listen soldier, I'm President. It's your job to protect me. Intercept whatever it's heading our way and take it down."

"Understood, Sir." – The pilot declared. – "Wait! Something has passed by us."

"What is it?"

Silence came of the other side until it was broken by the pilot. - "I have a visual Sir."

"Shoot it down!" – Ordered Lex, aggravated but suddenly they hear something coming from the ceiling of the plane but their attention shifted back to the pilot's description as the plane was approaching Air Force One.

"I can't Sir: it's on the Air Force One…Sir, It's Superman…"

She woke up in an old warehouse: her sight was cloudy but as time passed, it became clearer and saw people walking around, busy doing their chores.

She was being held prisoner with handcuffs on both her arms and chains in her ankles: the chair which she was sit on was attached to the ground.

Lois had no idea why someone who kidnapped her: basically she had so enemies since her stories exposed so many crimes and people therefore almost anyone of the underworld of crime would want a piece of her.

She looked for a reference which could reveal her where she was but unfortunately she found none. Meanwhile someone noticed she had waked up and approached her.

"Listen people, sleeping beauty finally woke up!" – The man smiled viciously at her: his hand reached her hair. – "Beauty runs in the family."

"I can't say the same about you." – Lois remarked sarcastically in an attempt to show she wasn't intimidated by him.

"And witty too!" – The man smiled but immediately his smile shifter into a more aggressive expression and he pulled her hair aggressively. – "So, are you going to tell us where prince charming is?"

"Back off Michael!" – A female voice shouted behind Lois. The man stepped back as Lois heard the footsteps of the woman approaching her from behind.

"Finally the family ties are useful for something..." – Lois was familiar with the voice but she didn't recognize who was until the woman was right in front of her. -…isn't that right, my dear sister?"

"Lucy?"

To be continued…


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Lois didn't know if she should laugh or she should cry: barely believing what her eyes were showing. Her own sister was part of the gang who kidnapped her. She hadn't heard from her sister in years: Clark's departure from Smallville years ago with unfinished issues with Lex made possible for Lucy a second chance but quickly Lucy made a lot of mistakes and her troubled relationship with Lois only got worse and Lucy left everything behind, disappearing and until then, Lois had never Lucy again.

"Lois Lane speechless? That's a new one…" – Lucy remarked sarcastically.

Her surprise was too big to articulate any words but eventually she asked the obvious question. - "What's going on Lucy?"

"Always direct, cut the crap…" – she signaled the other members to come at her side. – "Meet the gang: Michael Dubois, prankster, all interested in meeting Superman. Do you know where he is?"

"Taking a vacation at the Bahamas: I've heard its great this time of the year." – Lois answered ironically.

"Always sassy, always the same: Old habits die hard." – Lucy declared with a touch of bitterness.

"He'll find me." – She stated, flatly.

Lucy approached Lois, standing right in front of her, smiling. - "That's a universal law: whenever Lois Lane is at danger, Superman always shows up to the rescue and believe me sis, we're counting on it." - She began to put the pieces together: the kidnapping, the signal watch. It was very simple: she had become a bait to lure Superman into a trap.

Fate had always playing tricks on both of them not letting them be together and then she knew they couldn't be together since she was going to be the bait for the trap: Providence was cruel sometimes.

Star City, September 2010:

They were having dinner at one of the several dinning rooms that enormous mansion had.

She stopped eating, looking around the room: it was a fantastic room. Oliver prepared a dinner, a romantic environment which every romantic woman would dream of: candle light, roses all over the room, the wood burning at the fireplace, something that would impress even her: although she wasn't the romantic type, she liked a little romance from time to time and everything in that room was perfect with one exception: herself.

They began dating almost a year ago when Oliver Queen was in Metropolis for a period for six months and they were introduced by a mutual friend. Oliver Queen was the leader of Queen Industries and his business lead him to Metropolis. If Bruce Wayne was Gotham's favorite son, Oliver Queen was definitely Star City's equivalent. Rich, slightly spoiled, he and Lois clashed in the beginning and eventually their attraction for each other lead things to become quite serious to point which Lois requested transfer to Star City when she finished her graduation. It seemed everything was going on wheels but that day had brought something she wasn't expecting: precious information about Clark Kent.

She was a friend of Barbara Gordon: her father had become the new commissioner of Gotham City and was best friend of general Lane, her father. Both women went at the same school for a year and when one time Barbara was being bullied, Lois helped her and became close friends. When the Lane family went to Europe again, Lois and Barbara maintained contact in spite of the distance. For years they had frequent contact, mostly from email but occasionally they would meet, most of the times, in Metropolis.

Barbara was slightly younger than Lois, four years to be more precise and recently she had become a freshman in Gotham University while Lois was finishing her degree at Met-U and was already working at the Planet along with Chloe.

Lois told Barbara about Clark and everything that happened between them, the good and the bad and even showed a photo of Clark to Barbara in their last meet. Then, in that day, in that morning, Barbara called her with a shocking revelation: Barbara told Lois she had seen Clark in Gotham University.

The affirmation shook her world: nevertheless Lois asked Barbara to take a picture of the man she thought she saw. Hours later during the afternoon, Lois received an mms in her cell phone: there was no mistake, it was Clark Kent.

She froze, seeing him once again, after four years. What she thought was long gone, had resurfaced once again: The memories, the times spent together, the love. She couldn't stop thinking about him and she kept thinking about him all afternoon: sudden and strong doubts took over her mind.

"Should I go to him? What would be his reaction? Is he still in love with me? And Ollie?"

"Something's wrong?" – asked Oliver seeing Lois so distant.

Oliver's question pulled her back to reality.- "No." – she quickly replied but once she looked at him, she no longer hided the truth. – "Yes."

Oliver became apprehensive about Lois's indecision: he had never seen her like that.

"I found out where Clark is." – She confessed unsure of Oliver's reaction: she told Oliver once about Clark when they started dating. Lois had refused Oliver a couple of times but Oliver insisted and learned about the man who left such a big mark on Lois.

Lois looked at Oliver: she could see how concerned he was but she wasn't sure if he was concerned about her or if he was concerned about a ghost who somehow had always hunted their relationship.

"Where is he?" – Oliver asked cautiously, trying to be as neutral as possible.

"Gotham…"

"Do you want to go there?"

"I almost gave up searching for him but now…"

"…since you know where he is, you want to meet him." – Oliver got up and came close to her, grabbing her hand, looking fixedly at her. – "You have to let go your past: live your present and share your future with me."

"What if I don't see you in my future?" – Lois looked at him and Oliver stepped back: his worst fears were taking shape and he knew both had to make a decision.

"I can't live with a ghost between us Lois. Don't live your past." – Slowly Lois got up and approached Oliver and kissed him.

"He's my past, present and future." – She declared once the kiss stopped and Oliver knew that was the goodbye kiss. – "I'm sorry Oliver."

She stepped back and saw how devastated he was: her hand reached his cheek. – "There's someone for you out there: maybe some blonde with a stunning voice." - Oliver remained silent and she turned her back on him and left him alone.

Quickly she grabbed her stuff and took a taxi to the airport to take the next flight to Gotham City where Barbara was expecting her. Once she arrived to Gotham, she and Barbara went to the Gotham University where they searched for Clark. Speaking with a lot of people, they discovered Clark's location: they went to the university campus, to his room and entered his room but it was clean as if no one was sleeping there for days.

Talking with some of Clark's colleagues, they discovered a strange but important friendship Clark had since he arrived to Gotham: Bruce Wayne.

Fortunately for them, Barbara Gordon's father, the new Gotham's Police Commissioner was a good friend of Bruce Wayne and he managed to arrange an appointment between them and Bruce.

They headed to the Wayne tech building, in Gotham's downtown and waited in the waiting-room for Bruce.

Finally after some time, the secretary came to them and led them to Bruce's office: Both entered and Barbara was impressed about the office while Lois, who was accustomed to Oliver's luxuries, wasn't impressed and was more concerned about hearing news about Clark.

"Ladies…" – he pulled two chairs for Lois and Barbara to sit. – "…what can I do for you?"

Lois took of her purse a photo and handled it to Bruce. – "You know him, don't you?"

Bruce grabbed the picture and looked at it. – "Clark! Of course I know him…"

"Where is he?" - Lois asked promptly, interrupting Bruce, waiting impatiently for the answer she desperately needed.

Bruce looked carefully at Lois and soon understood what was happening. – "I'm afraid to say that Clark left Gotham days ago. He came to me and said he had to go away, his past was tracking him."

Lois remained silent while Barbara seeing Lois upset, she apologized to Bruce. – "Sorry, Mr. Wayne. Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome." – Bruce showed a sly smile while Barbara grabbed Lois and both walked out of there and exited the room leaving Bruce all alone.

He went back to his desk and grabbed his cell phone and dialed. – "Hello? Yes… she was here, you know?"

"She was devastated when I told her you're gone. Are you sure about this, Clark?"

"Fine! I've a good friend at Oxford's and I'll tell Alfred to arrange everything for your transfer. Keep in touch."

He hung up the phone and went to the window, seeing them at the street, Barbara comforting Lois. – "Happy endings are for fairy tales."

October 2016, somewhere in the skies:

His feet had reached the top of the plane: x-raying the plane, he saw several people heading towards one section of the plane and calmly he walked in same direction as they were but he was still outside. The air patrol was surrounding the plane like hawks waiting for their chance to strike however; he knew they couldn't attack the highest and most important man of the nation. Still x-raying, he followed them from outside and quickly he realized they wanted to evacuate Luthor.

However something else caught his attention: something hit the plane's rear, destroying its stern: Immediately he went to the plane's rear from where he heard someone shouting. – "LEX DIE!"

With the plane disestablishing as he looked to the rear, he noticed someone with the same outfit as his one: the person was about to tear apart the door which separate them but he managed to quick enough to grab the other person's arm.

"Stop!" – Superman shouted and he became shocked with the vision he just had: the other person was just like him in every way, the hair, the eyes, and nose, everything just like him.

"NO! LEX DIE!" – he punched Superman throwing him away from the plane but quickly Superman recovered and again was quick enough to embrace his other him, immobilizing him for seconds, enough time for the Air Force One to escape from the rage: however three planes from the patrol stayed behind and launched an attack on both men, shooting missiles.

With the missiles hitting both men, Superman let loose his copy. – "BUGS!" – The copy shouted, angrily and immediately used the heat vision to wipe out the three planes. With the planes taken down, the creature set its course to the Air Force One which was far ahead but Superman stood in his front and punched him.

"I won't let you do this." – Superman declared, resolute which ticked off even more the copy and furiously he attacked Superman.

In the middle of the air, both fought against each other: one man angered, determined to kill the President of the United States of America while on the other side was Superman resolute to save the President, the man who wanted his head on a plate. He knew that bizarre creature he was battling against had made things worse for him but if the creature killed Lex, he knew the worst has yet to come.

Fighting each other, with punches and kicks, they went down in spiral until they reached the ground causing a massive crater: Clouds of dust emerged from the ground but the lack of sight didn't hold them. The fight continued, using their hears as a guide: the smallest noise indicated their position and each one diverted the opponent's attack until Superman was able to catch off guard his adversary and punched him.

With his foe lay down, Superman was able to immobilize him, at least temporarily, putting his arm around the opponent's neck: the creature was with the stomach faced to the ground.

"Who are you?" – Superman inquired the creature, still stunned.

"Me?... Me am you…" – the creature replied with some difficulty.

"What do you want?"

"LEX DIE!" – a sudden and unexpected strength came from the creature and set free from Superman: the two were standing in front of each other ready for another round when suddenly a familiar sound reached their hears.

Immediately Superman recognized the sound: he would identify it anywhere, at anytime; Jimmy's signal watch. Unfortunately that sound always meant trouble and in that particular case, it meant double trouble.

Jimmy was in trouble and he was battling someone just like him, just as powerful as him and apparently his opponent was also hearing the sound Jimmy's watch was emitting.

He also thought about Lex: he couldn't let Lex at the hands of the creature he probably created. No matter how hard he wanted Lex out of the way, his death would only made things worse.

He faced a moral dilemma but quickly he made a decision: he focused his hearing, trying to "find" Air Force One but he heard nothing. Possibly the plane had already made an emergency landing and Lex had been evacuated. The worst case scenario was the plane crash and he was going to be somehow held responsible for the plane crash.

The signal watch had to wait a little longer: the twisted copy was still distracted the signal's watch and attacked the creature, punching hardly, tossing it against a wall of stone and continued punching it, repeatedly at super-speed until the creature was too dizzy. The punches had created a vertical depression and taking the chance, Superman lifted a huge rock and stuck the creature between the mountain and the huge stone.

He knew the creature wasn't going to be stopped that way but at least it was the best he could do in such short notice: he had to be fast as the signal watch kept ringing.

Superman took the opportunity: he focused his hearing again but that time, he focused on Jimmy's signal watch and he flew away leaving the creature alone and stuck in the mountain. He flew as fast he could, straight forward to the source until he arrived at the location, the Daily Planet rooftop.

The watch was on the floor, still emitting the signal: he grabbed the watch and out of nowhere he heard someone.

"Finally we got your attention." – He looked around but saw no one. – "You don't have to worry about Jimmy Olsen. He's at Metropolis general hospital but he's not the issue here. On the other way, Lois is…"

"If you harmed her in anyway…" – Anger began clouding his judgment but the voice interrupted him, forcing him to regain logic.

"Lois is fine and she will continue like that if you cooperate with us."

"I'm listening." – He stated, expectantly.

"There's a universal law: whenever Lois Lane is in danger, Superman goes to the rescue. This time, if you want to save her, be ready within three hours: we will broadcast the coordinates for our meeting, to take you to the Metropolis P.D and take the prize which is your alien ass."

Just as the voice appeared, the voice disappeared:

He felt he was losing control of the situation: there were too many loose ends to tie up and explanations were harder to find. The subject Metallo had recovered the long gone human conscience and the cost was his right hand and the lost opportunity to kill Superman. And then, minutes ago, the subject of project BIZARRO tried to kill him in the middle of the air and he had to thank Superman for saving his life: how ironic the situation was becoming since he was trying to kill the man who saved him minutes ago.

Somehow, Superman and Bizarro stayed behind and an emergency landing was made and immediately he was evacuated to the nearest Air Force base while several fighting planes flew to encounter Superman and Bizarro.

Hidden in a bunker, alone in a room, he expected anxiously for news: he walked around, impatiently like a lion inside a cage until finally someone entered the room: Mercy, his personal assistant.

"Give me some good news." – He walked to her, expectant.

She raised an eyebrow. - "I've got good and bad news. Which one do you prefer I tell you?"

"The good first."

"We have a lead on Clark Kent's whereabouts." – Mercy handled a photo to Lex who looked carefully at it. Good, bring him here."

"And now the bad news…" – Mercy delivered a report to Lex. – "According to the latest report, the military base where Project BIZARRO was held, was destroyed by the program's subject: it killed Dr. Donovan and his assistants. As you know, Mr. President, Superman's D.N.A isn't possible to recreate perfectly: its clones died shortly after being released from the cryogenic capsule. Its structural cell integrity collapsed hours later but it served your purposes by using the latest clone to simulate an attempt on your life in order to capture and kill Superman."

What she said, was nothing new to him and he wanted an answer for his question. - "Why isn't he dead?"

"Well, it seems this last clone maintains its cell integrity but loses its mental faculties: this is only speculation but since the subject has lost some mental faculties, probably has confused its gold: instead of faking an attempt on your life, it actually wants to kill you."

"And now I have a Frankstein stalker with homicidal tendencies…" – he turned around and debruçou over the table.

"What about Metallo?" – He asked, unaware of Metallo's whereabouts.

"Unknown…" – Mercy replied: Abruptly, he threw everything which was over the table against the wall. – "Get me Kent!"

Metropolis General Hospital: it wasn't the first time he was there and every time he was there, he hoped it would be the last time. A lot of his friends had been there and this time it was no different: this time was his pal, Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen.

Discretely, he managed to enter the hospital without being noticed: he ran at super-speed, fast enough to read the log and know where Jimmy was. Everyone saw nothing and just got the impression of a freakish wind along the corridors of hospital.

Finally he arrived at Jimmy's room and entered quietly.

"Superman!?" – Jimmy was surprised to see him like that: a gabardine covering all the tights and cape leaving only the red boots at sight.

"How are you doing?" – He asked concerned with his friend.

"I'm fine. How did you know I'm here?" – The thought had crossed Jimmy's mind since only Perry and one or two of his friends came to see him.

"I know Lois was kidnapped: whoever they are, they want me and they threat to kill her unless I show up."

Jimmy's memory was still fuzzy about those last moments before he lost consciousness. – "Yeah she was…" –

"Do you have any idea who they were?" – Superman asked but hesitant: he watched his friend in bad shape and he didn't want to push his friend to the limit with such recent trauma but Lois was in danger. Jimmy tried, hardly, to remember more about those last seconds but nothing came up.

"I'm sorry but I'm blank."-

Superman approached Jimmy and put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder, assuring him. – "Rest Jimmy, don't worry."

However, his worries only increased when the same voice talked to him. – "Superman…wherever you are, time's up. You're going to the Metropolis Harbor, warehouse nº14 and you're going to wait there."

"What is it?" – Jimmy noticed a sudden change in Superman: he could see how apprehensive Superman was.

"I have to go. Take care." – Abruptly Jimmy lost sight of Superman.

He flew away, raising high above, in the sky of Metropolis: he stopped and looked at the Metropolis Harbor.

Slowly he dove until his feet touched the floor: he walked to the warehouse nº14 but his surprise, Lois was lay down at the warehouse's entrance unconscious.

He walked to her, suspiciously: he didn't know what to expect. He was feeling a mixture of relief, anxiety and suspicion: He bended one knee and x-rayed Lois. Fortunately she had nothing wrong, just a couple of bruises.

"She's fine." – Slowly Superman looked at the direction from where the voice was coming from.

"Lucy Lane…" – he recognized her: it was a long time since he last saw her. She didn't know Clark Kent and Superman were only one and the same but he did know what happened to her.

"You don't have to worry about me." – Lucy stated, trying to assure Superman but he didn't believe her. Then he noticed someone coming out of the shadow.

"Flash…" – Finally he was relieved by someone familiar: slowly he noticed more and more heroes showing up. – "Green Arrow…Wonder Woman…Cyborg…Aquaman…Black Canary…Thank you so much for helping me…" – he grabbed Lois with his arms and lifted her, carrying her.

"We need to stop Luthor. There's…"

"This isn't what you think, Superman." – Wonder Woman interrupted him, stepping forward. He looked at her, confused. – "What?"

"Put Lois on the ground, Superman. We're here to take you to justice." – Aquaman declared.

The relief faded instantly: then he noticed he was surrounded by the heroes, forming a perfect hexagon ready to go to battle if necessary.

Wonder Woman stepped forward. - "So, what's going to be Kal? The easy way or the hard way?"

To be continued…

eheheheheheAAA


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

He looked at each one of them: old friends, new enemies. The twisted truth Luthor had said even convinced his friends. Slowly, he put Lois down and stepped back.

"Do you honestly believe in Lex Luthor?" – His question revealed how incredulous he was with his friends.

"The question is: Are you going to play his game, his rules?" – Green Arrow spoke, stepping forward. – "the end justifies the means, right? Next, you're becoming our savior using your power to protect the world with an iron fist, like a fascist?"

The accusations were too strong even for him. – "What? I didn't try to kill him…"

"I wish I could believe you." – Diana, known to the world as Wonder Woman talked to him, catching his attention. – "If I were you, I would do probably the same but that doesn't mean it's right." – She stepped forward, walking to him until she came close to him. – "Don't make this any worse." – Her hand reached his face: she was concerned with her "brother", afraid of the worst.

He stepped back. – "I'm not going to jail, accused of something I didn't commit. I'm surprised you believe Luthor: even you." – He turned to Green Arrow hoping for a reply but Green Arrow maintained his silence.

Realizing he wouldn't change his mind, everyone stepped back, surrounding him. The silence revealed a growing tension: each side was studying its adversary, looking for ways to neutralize the other.

He looked carefully at his old friends: He x-rayed all of them, showing having a set of kryptonite arrows and the Flash had also kryptonite. He realized his odds were minimal but he had to try: the first move had to be his.

With all eyes looking at him, he looked at Flash and attacked: he used his heat-vision and the fastest man alive easily diverted his attack but bought enough time for him to fly and stay away from the kryptonite. Unfortunately, behind him, Wonder Woman made her attack, grabbing him and both dove into the river and Aquaman followed them.

Inside the river, held by Diana, Superman saw Aquaman approaching them and immediately he began punching repeatedly Superman in his face until Superman diverted in one Aquaman's punches and indivertibly he hit Wonder Woman: dizzy she lost momentarily her strength and Superman took the opportunity and punched Aquaman who was shocked and concerned with Diana.

Slightly shaky, Aquaman was grabbed by Superman and they went to the surface and they flew kilometers up, up and away into cold winds of the sky where the odds were turned against Aquaman.

"Can you see what Luthor is doing to us?" – He tried to show to the evidence to Aquaman who was becoming weak by the moment: the moments of temporary peace were interrupted as Superman saw Wonder Woman coming in: immediately he tossed a weak Aquaman in Diana's direction.

It bought time for Superman to focus his vision and looked down below, into the Metropolis where the Green Arrow was carrying Lois into a warehouse: Right away he flew, making his descent rapidly and chased Green Arrow but as he was about to enter the warehouse Cyborg stood in his front, catching him off guard.

He didn't have the time to react: Cyborg punched him, tossing several meters away and Flash quickly ran to catch Superman and expose him to the Kryptonite but the man of steel quickly recovered and put himself in a safe distance from the Flash.

Floating, he decided to approach Lois by air, avoiding Flash but being so concentrated to take Lois, he didn't realize Wonder Woman approaching from behind: like a cannon ball she took him and both entered violently inside the warehouse, breaking walls, hitting finally the ground, creating a crater.

With Wonder Woman on top of him, he managed to turn around and Cyborg was about to attack but Superman kicked him tossing several meters: Unfortunately for the Flash, as he was approaching the spot at super-speed he saw Cyborg heading in his direction but he wasn't able to divert Cyborg and he was hit by Cyborg's dense body and fainted.

Meanwhile, the battle was between Superman and Wonder Woman: she had more experience and better fighting skills and that gave her an initial advantage.

Quickly, she applied simultaneously two punched in Superman's ears as she was grabbing him with her legs: the hard hit made him dizzy and his vision was blurry. Wonder Woman took the chance and smacked him a second time: the punch threw him away from her, smashing another wall of the warehouse. Lay down outside, He got up with some difficulty and noticed a blur heading in his way: guessing it was Diana, he shook his head, trying to regain his normal sight and hearing. He looked again and she was on top of him but fortunately he was able to defend: he stepped back while his vision was restoring to its normal.

A small pause and after that, they resumed the fight: she was giving everything while he was trying to restrain himself, diverted and defending her attacks. Punches and Kicks were turning him into a boxing bag but he had to resolve the fight: an error from her and he punched her, a right hook which caught her by surprise, knocking her to the ground.

They inverted positions as Superman went to search for Lois but Wonder Woman quickly recovered. – "Don't you dare to turn your back on me!"

He turned around and looked at her. – "I don't want to fight anymore."

"Well you should have thought of that before you started all this mess." – He felt weird Wonder Woman's need to talk but his doubt was clarified when Cyborg came from behind and punched Superman with all his strength.

The blow was hard but Cyborg's strength wasn't even close to Wonder Woman's and Superman recovered only to be punched by Wonder Woman: Straight away, Cyborg came close and grabbed Superman by his throat however they flew back, hitting hard on the warehouse's wall. Instantly Cyborg lost some of his strength, the sufficient for Superman to set free but was grabbed by Wonder Woman's lasso. The harder he resisted the worse for him: looking at her, he focused his vision as hard as he could and used his heat vision and burned slightly her hands. She yelled in pain and gave him sufficient time to set free from the lasso and tossed it into the river: he turned around saw Cyborg in front of him, ready to attack.

Cyborg tried to punch Superman but he grabbed Cyborg's fist. – "I didn't want any of this." – He kicked Cyborg's chest, tossing him several meters away, into the river. Slowly he drowned, due to his dense body, due to all his metallic parts.

"You have some nerve…" – He turned around to see Diana full of rage towards him. Again she attacked him but he was faster than her and since it was one on one, he gained the advantage. He was no longer holding himself and spite of her better fighting skills, he had arsenal of his side: heat vision, cold breath, speed and simple brute force. He deflected all her attacks and finally he attacked: a left and a right wing, using all of his strength and she fell. She tried to get up but he was too fast for her: he punched her so hard and so fast that in matter of couple of minutes, she fell unconscious.

"I'm so sorry." - He turned and headed to the warehouse: he didn't have much time. The massive fight had attracted too much attention and he could hear the police sirens headed in his direction.

He walked inside what was then, the ruins of the warehouse: he x-rayed the entire warehouse and saw a female body lay down, surrounded by Kryptonite arrows; Lois.

What lacked in super-powers, Green Arrow had in intelligence: he often considered Green Arrow or Batman for that matter, much more capable adversaries than any other. Eyes and hears focused, the entire compound had traces of lead which was harder for him to see where Black Canary and Green Arrow were.

He walked slowly in Lois's direction and grabbed whatever he could which had led: cautiously he walked, step by step, looking at each side until he stopped when he started to feel kryptonite's nasty effects. He stepped back, gaining a safe distance from the green poison and used his super-breath prudently and managed to push the kryptonite scattered around Lois. That's when Green Arrow showed behind him and pointed an arrow at him: he shot the arrow however Superman was able to divert the arrow. He turned around and was about to use his heat vision when he felt the effects of the Kryptonite: he fell in pain and as he fell he saw who was responsible: Black Canary.

"Good Job." – Green Arrow stated as he approached both of them. Black Canary maintained his silence as Green Arrow stood as his side: Superman still in pain looked at them when unexpectedly, something hit Green Arrow in his neck and Arrow fell unconscious.

Black Canary looked hardly in the every direction and began screaming in every direction looking for the adversary but all of a sudden, a shadow came from behind Black Canary and a simple punch, knocked out her: the shadow came forward, revealing its identity, Batman.

He hided the kryptonite close to Superman into his utility belt and grabbed Superman and helped him to get up. – "We don't have much time." – He was perplexed by Batman's sudden appearance, not he complained but definitely intriguing.

"I knew all along it had Luthor written all over." – Batman spoke as he carried Superman in his shoulder. – "But Diana, Oliver, Arthur, Bart and Victor came to me when you supposedly attacked the president: I had to play along and when we discovered Lois's kidnapping, we thought you had to show up. Don't blame them: Even I had a hard time believing you."

"Tell me about it…" – Superman replied: they came close to Lois and Superman, in a better shape, grabbed Lois and carried her in his arms. – "What about them?" – He looked at his fellow friends lay down, unconscious, curious about their immediate future and his: it would be a matter of time when they meet again.

"Don't worry about that: I'll hold them as long as I can." – The affirmation caused some doubt in Superman but Batman assured him. – "I'm fine, I've everything under control: you have to go, now, before the police and army gets here."

The vacillation faded and he felt gratitude towards a man who had always helped whenever he needed. – "Thank you."

"You can thank me by bringing Luthor down."

"I will." – He turned around, carrying Lois in his arms, leaving behind his friend and the chaos and the destruction caused by the fight.

His hands rubbed his face: tired, the last night had brought worse news. The U.N had issued a statement proclaiming Superman as enemy of Mankind: the alleged Superman's second attack on the President was the final nail on the coffin and the public had made their final judgment; guilty.

The idea of clearing his friend's name was more urgent than ever before: he didn't want his friend a victim of world wide hunting. The newspapers were nothing but public executioners demanding Superman's head, even the Daily Planet.

He expected new developments coming from Chloe but she hadn't come up with anything and the situation was becoming unbearable.

Sat at his desk, in his office, someone knocked. – "Come in." – The door opened: his secretary came in.

"Senator Ross, the Secret Services wish to talk to you, Sir." – He became apprehensive: somehow he had the feeling it wasn't a social visit.

"Send them in." – Immediately he took his cell phone and discretely he sent a message to Chloe while two agents came in.

"Senator Ross, I'm Agent Jefferson and this is Agent Johnson." – The two men showed their I.D, corroborating their claim.

"What can I do for you, gentleman?" – The smiled in his face disguised his tension and clearly he had a suspicion what was about to come.

"Senator, The President wishes to speak with you."

"Can't he use a phone?" – The moment he spoke, the moment he regretted: he had forgotten about Lex's "accident" with his right hand and the sarcastic remark only made things worse.

"The President needs to talk to you, in person. Now…" – the agent opened slightly his jacket showing his gun. Pete's suspicions had been confirmed: he had become another war casualty.

She woke up, lay down on a comfortable bed in a marvelous room: she looked around, confused about how she got there. She remembered being with her sister Lucy when she felt a needle in her neck and she past out.

She got up and admired that strange material which looked like crystals, walls so high it felt they were reaching the skies. Harmony, peace and tranquility were feelings she felt: if she was dead, that place was definitely heaven.

"Miss Lane?" – The spoken words scared her and she became even scarier when she noticed it was a floating robot who addressed to her. She stepped back defensively. – "Where am I, tin can?"

"I am detecting your vital signs are increasing, suggesting apprehension and anxiety. Do not worry miss Lane, I will guide you to master Kal-El." - The robot fall back and turned around. It stopped waiting for her: she hesitated but her curiosity was bigger than her fear and after a few moments of hesitation, she followed the machine through the corridors and halls of the crystal palace.

After a few minutes the machine conducted her to the main hall where she saw someone familiar: she stopped while the machine continued until it came close to him.

Using a console, he was too absorbed, seeing the projections showing several images, to notice her: she ran to him and held him, squeezing him as hard as she could, just to be sure it wasn't a dream.

On the other hand, He smiled, glad about her being recovered and holding him like that and grabbed her hands which were on his chest: he turned around and faced her.

He looked deeply into her eyes and caressed her cheek. – "How are you feeling?"

She didn't reply because she looked at him, closely. – "What happened?" – He didn't look well, even abated and her concern spiked.

"I'm fine, I'm just…" – her hand touched his face and she noticed how the war was affecting him.

"We have to do something otherwise this witch hunt is going to kill you." – The concern evolved to anger but he held her hands.

"Lois!" – His plead took her attention and he continued. – "For now, we have to sit and wait, hoping Pete and Chloe find something about Metallo and that copy of mine." – He squeezed slightly her hands knowing perfectly that waiting would drive her nuts, hoping she would follow his advice. –"You must be starving and you have to eat and besides, spend more quality time, something we lack these days."

She smiled, understanding his reasons and his desires were also her desires. He pointed to the robot. – "Kelex here can run things for me so let's go and eat something." – He grabbed her and carrying her in his arms, he flew slowly, showing her the various rooms the Fortress had.

"I can get used to this." – but from his perspective, being on a place so quiet and calm, he knew by the end of the day, she would have gone mad.

"How come you never talk about this forty feet crystal palace?"

Her question sounded a little odd considering what both went through but he understood her dazzle towards the Fortress. - "Did we ever have the time to talk about this?"

"Point taken." – Lois replied flatly.

They continued the trip while Lois continued admiring the Fortress until they reached the room he wanted. - "We're arrived." – He stated as his feet touched the ground.

While he headed to one balcony, she continued admiring the architecture of the place, including a small table and chairs, made of crystal too. Starving, she sat, waiting for whatever he was preparing for her.

"Are you ok? Cold? Warm? Hot?" – His concern was of course genuine but it felt odd for her, asking those questions.

"Yeah, fine. Where are we anyway?"

"North Pole." – His quick response shocked her and she took another glare at the place.

"Did you turn on the air-conditioning?" – He laughed at her question and he turned around with a dish with food and put it on the table, right in front of her.

"Something like that. Here, it's your favorite." – She looked at him, amazed with his knowledge about her.

He understood her look and explained. –"Well, mom talked about you some time ago when you were at the farm for a couple of days and I've learned a thing or two and having a food replicate here helps too. I hope you like it."

Famished, she started eating, quickly while he sat and stared at her, simply watching her eating. Eating so quickly, she noticed he was staring at her and immediately she apologized.

"I can assure you, I'm not like this: in fact I'm on a diet right now." – He laughed at her statement like he hadn't in a long time: suddenly he felt that place was as cold as he thought it was. She gave the warm he needed for the place, the noise to break the silence, to keep him company to break the solitude he felt for so much time.

Eventually she finished her meal and leaned back. –"Is this where you have been living for the last couple of years?"

"I only come here unless I have no other option: it lacks human contact." – She took the opportunity, got up and came close to him by sitting on his lap.

"Not anymore…" – They shared a long and passionate kiss: then they looked into each others eyes, caressing, the dialogs of the silence where words weren't required to tell how they felt about each other.

"So what about a tour around your castle, oh great knight-errant?" - Her tease provoked him and he started tickling her until she gave in.

"You really love to pick up a fight don't you?"- Their foreheads touched and she confessed almost whispering.

"Only the ones I win." – Convinced by her, both got up and he grabbed, holding her in his arms.

"Just a quick stop to grab an anorak for you. Not all the Fortress has the same temperature." – He stated as they flew away. Eventually she dressed the anorak and both continued the trip. They went to the Fortress' rooftop seeing the Sun in state of "eternal" sunset, watching the several rooms containing several items including the enormous statue of his biological parents, Jor-El and Lara, holding the planet Krypton.

Finally, after the long tour they landed in front of his bedroom. Quickly she entered and admired it.

"So this is the place where you spend your lonely nights…"

"Hardly…I never used the bed." – He stated as he entered the room.

"So I guess it's time for us to use it." – Slowly she took off the anorak and then the sweat-shirt leaving only her bra covering her chest. Seductively she approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck: she stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. – "I want you now."

He didn't even hesitate and immediately they kissed passionately as the cape was thrown away, words whispering…

"…_I need you so much…"_

"…_I love you…"_

"…_make me reach the sky…"_

"…_we are one…" _

…Tenders, dialogs of two lovers who didn't speak for a long time.

"The Bizarro subject has appeared erratically in some points across the country." – Mercy handled him the latest report as they were walking across the corridor.

"Make that top priority: I want him found and neutralized." – His mind was on something else more important.

"What about Metallo?" – Mercy inquired, believing somehow Lex had forgotten about it.

Lex looked at her when they stopped as he was about to enter into a room. – "I can handle with a tin can not with a super-powered freak with an ape mentality and with me as a target. Besides I have General Lane on it."

He entered the room and closed the door, leaving Mercy alone. With him, there were three men: two inquisitors and one being questioned.

The one being questioned was restrained in his hands and legs: he had already suffered some torture but it was still in its beginning.

He approached the questioned man. – "Senator Ross, How do you feel today?"

Less than pleased, Pete looked at him. – "What's the meaning of this, Mr. President?"

He didn't reply Pete's question and instead, he grabbed a file from other desk and opened it right in front of Pete. – "These were taken days ago in Dillingham, Alaska." – What Pete saw were photos of him and Clark together when he told Clark about the Superman protocols which left him even more unease with Luthor.

"What I really want to know Senator, is where Clark Kent is hidden."

"You don't have the right to hold me here: The Constitution…" – Pete tried to avoid Lex's question Lex didn't let him finish the sentence: Lex punched and grabbed him by his throat pushing him against the wall.

"Inside these walls there's no Constitution!" – Lex shouted in anger, knowing Pete was trying to play games with him. – "You're helping a man who's charged of treason by helping an alien who is a menace to this country and to the Human race."

Valiantly, Pete looked at Lex, defying him, maintaining his silence. Lex's hand left Pete's throat and stepped back. – "Very well…" – He turned around and headed to one of the agents. – "Break him, do whatever it takes." – He walked out of the room and headed to his office where Mercy was expecting him.

"I have some good news." – Mercy declared as Lex entered the office.

"You found Bizarro." – He had high hopes it would be the good news but what she said was a lot better.

"Something better."- She replied knowing Lex would react better to the sudden developments. – "We found Superman's lair, right in the North Pole as you suspected. We tracked him going there carrying someone: due to his slow speed, we managed to track."

The information was better than anything he had discovered: by finding his enemy's home, he could bring the war to his doorsteps.

"Since then, we've maintained constant surveillance: he's there right now."

"Good." – He looked carefully at the photos admiring the vast structure which was almost untraceable, confusing itself with the ice.

He smiled; thrilled with the news but once he was absolutely aware of the situation, the smiled faded.

"I want it plane like a parking lot: nuke it."

To be continued…


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 14:

"It's been a while..." – Lana was slightly surprised to receive a call from Lois and apparently, it had to be serious.

"I know and I wish I had to call you under different reasons but I'm calling you because I need a favor." - Her voice was tense and Lana knew how severe the situation was.

"This has to do with Clark, doesn't it?" - The question was almost rhetorical but she needed to hear from Lois.

"Call Lex. You're the only one who can still reach him: make him stop this man hunt." - Lois's voice was the voice of desperation, revealing how badly she wanted the nightmare to end. For Lana, it was evident the situation was a lot worse than she thought: even f she was on the side of the Atlantic, the words, the rumors weren't on Clark's side.

"I'll call him but I don't know if he'll listen to me." – There was no reassurance: only the hope to stop a more than certain tragedy.

"Please just try..."

"Clark Kent is Superman..."

"Clark Kent is Superman..."

"Clark Kent is Superman..."

The affirmation echoed in his mind sounding absurd to him. However the situation was telling him otherwise: Loving someone and that someone being threatened was more than sufficient for that man to undo anything or betray even his best friend.

Lex saw Pete approaching Chloe, desperate and concerned about her as she was still yelling in pain. - "Chloe? Chloe?"

He didn't care because his gold was accomplished and he knew what he had to do. -"Give her medical attention she needs. I still need her alive." - He stated to the agent next to him and after that he exited the room and went to his office.

The office itself was modest, far from the luxury of Oval office but it had sufficient to work with.

He sat in his desk and looked at a photo of Clark Kent from the related Superman file his staff would always bring: It was one thing to think Clark was an ally to Superman but it was completely different to know Clark Kent was in fact Superman. He felt deceived by a simple farm boy but the recent revelation offered the answers for the questions he had been doing for years ever since the big accident at the bridge: It felt like an eternity when they first met years ago and he would never guess how opposite side they would take in incoming years.

He heard a knock. - "Come in."

Mercy entered and came to him. -"Do we have confirmation?"

"No." - Her answer crushed his hopes. -"The satellite images indicate he escaped the blast: however his home is completely destroyed and anyone doesn't have a chance to get inside that complex at least for the next 50 years."

"That's not good enough: I want to bring him to his knees. Unless there's a body, he's still alive." - The bitterness and the coldness of his affirmation scared her. She had been working for Lex for years and for the first time, she was frightened.

"You can leave." - He stated, flatly. As Mercy was about to exit his room, he called her. –"Mercy…Call General Lane: I have a task for him." - After her exit, while he waited for the General, his thoughts were again focused on the one time best friend, now mortal enemy, Clark Kent who was worldwide known under a different name, a different persona: Superman. However his thoughts on Clark Kent were interrupted shortly after, the general was on the com link waiting for the President's order.

"Mr. President..."

"General Lane...There's a top priority assignment for you."

Then Lex gave the general, the order which left the three star general stunned. -"Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent and Lois Lane: I found recent evidence which indicates these three helping Superman I want them here, alive, by the end of the day."– Luthor's orders were simple but the General's silence was telling him otherwise. – "General Lane, I know this is your daughter we're talking about but I have no pleasure in doing this but this has to be done: This is treason, General. There's no way to play it around."

After some consideration, the General finally spoke. - "I know Mr. President. I'll bring them to justice."

Just like that, the communication ended: Immediately after, Lex heard the knock and Mercy came in.

"Mr. President, there's a call for you."

The call made him wonder who ever he/she could be. - "Who is it? Russian's President? Chinese's Prime Minister?"

"No Sir, Lana Lang..." - It surprised him to hear Lana wanted to talk with him but somehow he was suspicious about Lana's timing.

He knew her friendship with Clark had always been tempestuous especially when it involved stronger feelings than friendship. He and Lana continued their friendship, helping her and tried a deeper, stronger relationship beyond friendship but Lana always said she could only offer him a friendship, nothing more.

"I'll take it." - Mercy left the room and his desk's phone transmitted the incoming call. Reluctantly he grabbed it. - "Lana, it's good to hear your voice again."

"Lex..." - He noticed how tense her voice was: clearly something was troubling her.

"I'm a little busy right now but we can talk later; I'm sure we've got a lot to catch up and..."

"Did you order the launch of the nukes, Lex?" - Her question caught him off guard, wondering how she knew about the attack.

"I'm hearing CNN reporting unconfirmed reports of a nuclear strike somewhere in the North Pole." – She ended all his doubts and quickly the tension escalated.

"Yes it's true." - He thought denying the rumors but he knew sooner or later, someone would confirm the news.

"What are you trying to prove, Lex?"

Her question was the bottom line of his entire endeavor. - "I'm proving to everyone how an alien race has come to destroy us, to rule us. Did you remember when I found you years ago at the middle of the road, in shock?"

She remembered like if it was yesterday: she had witnessed an atrocious attack where everyone was killed and she was the only survivor. - "How can I forget?!"

"You saw the evidence I showed..."

She interrupted him, knowing exactly where the conversation was heading to. - "Superman has done nothing but to help people, to fight crime and corruption. You just can't link him to whatever came out of that ship."

"I can and I did." – Lex pointed out, bluntly.

"You're starting World War III just to prove a point."

He thought about her sudden call, her arguments and then he put it all together. - "You know who he is..."

Her silence confirmed his suspicion. - "You lived most of your life with an alien surrounding your doorsteps..."

"The same alien who saved your life in that car accident 15 years ago." – She tried to make a point, trying to make Lex see the wrong of his doings but clearly there was the turning point for Lex was long gone.

"So you stand at his side. I'll never forget this act of betrayal." - He disconnected the call abruptly: the wound she made in his heart was deeper than he thought. Lex gained another reason to kill his enemy.

He woke up, lay down on the white field and look to his front: kilometers ahead of him, his heritage was gone.

Still slightly dizzy, he got up and slowly he walked towards the fortress but soon he stopped: feeling more capable, he leaped and floated, rising until he was able to see the destruction the bombs had done. Whatever was above the surface, it was wiped out but the lower floors of the Fortress were still although were severely damaged. It didn't matter: the radiation mixed with the kryptonite made impossible for anyone to get close, even him.

He had lost his heritage, the last memory of his home world.

He was always careful: always looking over the shoulder, seeking any suspicious movements but he had a single gold: revenge. It was revenge against the Man of Steel and revenge against the man who made him like he was right then.

He came inside a coffee shop and everyone had their attention to the TV. Curious, he also looked at the TV.

"..._For now the White House hasn't confirmed if there was a nuclear strike. However there have been reports of bright greenish tones in far horizon of population in far regions of Greenland. Speculation of President's Luthor ordering the strike because of Superman who's currently whereabouts is unknown...wait this is just in our newsroom: Superman has just been seen in Houston, Texas, creating havoc in downtown. We expect at any minute live footage..."_

The people around him were shocked, worried about their future but he was less than worried: in fact, he was thrilled about finally finding him. John Corben had a destination where could finally have his vengeance: Houston, Texas.

"Time for round two." - He stepped back and jumped as high as he could to arrive at his destination the fastest he could.

The waiting was killing her: neither Clark nor Lana had given any news and soon everyone became more unease with the unconfirmed news broadcast on TV about a nuclear strike somewhere in the North.

"Jonathan..." - Jonathan looked at his troubled wife and like her, he was lost, unaware of what to do. The only thing he could do was holding his wife and hold on to the hope his son was stronger than all the warfare.

On the other hand, Lois looked like a beast inside a cage, impatiently, walking around the room: knowing she had to do something, she grabbed her cell phone and called Jimmy.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy could barely believe he was hearing Lois's voice. - "Lois? Thank God! Are you ok?"

"I wish I was...Have you heard the news?"

"Yeah..." - the sadness and the uneasiness filled his voice.

"Can you somehow confirm it?"

"I'll try..." - her cell phone began ringing: incoming call from Lana.

"Jimmy I have to go. I'm glad you're ok." - Immediately she took Lana's call.

"Lana? Please tell me something good." - Lana didn't know how to tell Lois the bad news, confronted with Lois's desperate hope but her silence made Lois understood something was wrong.

"Lana..."

It took a few seconds for Lana to reply. - "I've just talk to Lex and it was helpless. I don't know if you heard the news but Lex has confirmed me a nuclear attack. I'm sorry. Lois?" - The silence was nothing else than the shock of the revelation: perhaps for the first time Lois realized it was no longer just a witch hunt, it had become a war.

"Lois? He knows..."

"Thanks..." - Lois hung up and looked at the Kent couple who immediately understood the situation: Martha hugged Jonathan, squeezing him as strong as she could. - "Jonathan..."

"We've got to have faith, Martha, faith in our boy..." - He said it to give Martha some hope but also to Lois to whom he looked.

"I have to go." - She got up, grabbed her jacket and walked to exit, knowing that staying in the farm wouldn't help resolving the situation.

"Where are you going?" - Martha asked worried.

"I'm heading back to Metropolis: I've to find something to bring Luthor down, anything, even a parking ticket. I'll try to give some news any soon as I can."

"Good luck." - Jonathan declared.

"Thanks, we all need it." - She opened the front door and saw three black vans coming to the front. She looked at the Kents. - "Are you expecting any visits?"

The Kent couple looked at each other. - "No" - Both replied flatly.

The "déjà vu" feeling hit her and immediately she entered the house and closed the door. - "We're coming for us!"

Jonathan walked to the window where he saw the vans parking in front of his house. - "She's right. Let's get out by the back door." - Quickly they ran to the backdoor and exited the house: they ran as fast as they could, running across the farm but rapidly they stopped, resting for a few seconds as they entered. The Kent vitality was then just a shadow of what it was years ago.

"We've got keep running." - Lois's affirmation was both encouraging and warning.

"You go: we're just slowing you." - Jonathan understood Lois's affirmation but he didn't want to feel responsible for her possible capture.

"I'm not leaving you behind." – She stated flatly.

Jonathan put his hands on Lois's shoulders. - "Lois, me and my wife are no longer young people: I've got heart problems and if you stay with us, you're going to get caught with us. You're more useful if you find something about Luthor's personal vendetta."

The logic dictated she would follow Jonathan's advice however deep in her heart, she couldn't leave them behind. Martha noticed Lois's hesitation. - "Do it for us, do it for our boy."

Martha's words were decisive for her decision: no words were spoken, just a simple nod. She turned around and ran as she fast as she could, hating herself for leaving them behind but hating even more Lex into forcing her to make such decision.

Running for a half a hour, she finally stopped for a quick rest. While resting, she thought about everything and decided to continue her investigation where it was left: the Metropolis General Hospital, the morgue section but for that, she had to contact the only person she could trust, Jimmy Olsen.

Walking for hours, she arrived at Smallville and waited for the next morning to catch a bus to Metropolis: always looking around to see any suspicious movements but fortunately or rather unable, she didn't detect anything suspicious.

After a three hour trip she arrived at Metropolis and headed straight to the first cyber coffee shop she could find: If Lex knew the truth about Clark Kent/Superman then everyone close to him would be in danger. Grabbing the first available computer and went to a forum of the Internet dedicated to Superman where she and Jimmy were users. She sent him a personal message...

_"Up, Up and Away."_

...and waited for a reply. Phone calls or personal visits without any confirmation of being watched were out of the question. Using the Internet was the least risky situation. Hours passed and both coffee and patience were disappearing until she finally got a reply.

_"The never-ending battle continues." _

The message crushed her hopes: Jimmy had been caught and she was all alone. Immediately she terminated the connection and left the coffee shop but she stopped as she stepped out of it. Momentarily she was lost, unaware of what to do: the world was falling apart like a fragile castle of cards being easily destroyed by the wind.

Nevertheless, Time was a luxury she couldn't afford to: She took the nearest taxicab and headed to Perry White's house and while heading there she called to his cell phone but he never answered her calls, leading always to voice mail. She gave Perry the benefit of the doubt and hoped he was either sleeping like a rock or he was too drunk in some random bar and answer her call.

Finally, she arrived at Perry's place, paid the taxi and headed to Perry's apartment: she took the stairs until she was finally at apartment's door. She pressed the door bell hoping for Perry to open the door. Finally, after a few seconds the door opened but Perry wasn't who opened the door. Once she saw who was, she stepped back, disappointed almost feeling defeated.

"Dad…"

To be continued…


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

"It's been a while..." – Lana was slightly surprised to receive a call from Lois and apparently, it had to be serious.

"I know and I wish I had to call you under different reasons but I'm calling you because I need a favor." - Her voice was tense and Lana knew how severe the situation was.

"This has to do with Clark, doesn't it?" - The question was almost rhetorical but she needed to hear from Lois.

"Call Lex. You're the only one who can still reach him: make him stop this man hunt." - Lois's voice was the voice of desperation, revealing how badly she wanted the nightmare to end. For Lana, it was evident the situation was a lot worse than she thought: even f she was on the side of the Atlantic, the words, the rumors weren't on Clark's side.

"I'll call him but I don't know if he'll listen to me." – There was no reassurance: only the hope to stop a more than certain tragedy.

"Please just try..."

"Clark Kent is Superman..."

"Clark Kent is Superman..."

"Clark Kent is Superman..."

The affirmation echoed in his mind sounding absurd to him. However the situation was telling him otherwise: Loving someone and that someone being threatened was more than sufficient for that man to undo anything or betray even his best friend.

Lex saw Pete approaching Chloe, desperate and concerned about her as she was still yelling in pain. - "Chloe? Chloe?"

He didn't care because his gold was accomplished and he knew what he had to do. -"Give her medical attention she needs. I still need her alive." - He stated to the agent next to him and after that he exited the room and went to his office.

The office itself was modest, far from the luxury of Oval office but it had sufficient to work with.

He sat in his desk and looked at a photo of Clark Kent from the related Superman file his staff would always bring: It was one thing to think Clark was an ally to Superman but it was completely different to know Clark Kent was in fact Superman. He felt deceived by a simple farm boy but the recent revelation offered the answers for the questions he had been doing for years ever since the big accident at the bridge: It felt like an eternity when they first met years ago and he would never guess how opposite side they would take in incoming years.

He heard a knock. - "Come in."

Mercy entered and came to him. -"Do we have confirmation?"

"No." - Her answer crushed his hopes. -"The satellite images indicate he escaped the blast: however his home is completely destroyed and anyone doesn't have a chance to get inside that complex at least for the next 50 years."

"That's not good enough: I want to bring him to his knees. Unless there's a body, he's still alive." - The bitterness and the coldness of his affirmation scared her. She had been working for Lex for years and for the first time, she was frightened.

"You can leave." - He stated, flatly. As Mercy was about to exit his room, he called her. –"Mercy…Call General Lane: I have a task for him." - After her exit, while he waited for the General, his thoughts were again focused on the one time best friend, now mortal enemy, Clark Kent who was worldwide known under a different name, a different persona: Superman. However his thoughts on Clark Kent were interrupted shortly after, the general was on the com link waiting for the President's order.

"Mr. President..."

"General Lane...There's a top priority assignment for you."

Then Lex gave the general, the order which left the three star general stunned. -"Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent and Lois Lane: I found recent evidence which indicates these three helping Superman I want them here, alive, by the end of the day."– Luthor's orders were simple but the General's silence was telling him otherwise. – "General Lane, I know this is your daughter we're talking about but I have no pleasure in doing this but this has to be done: This is treason, General. There's no way to play it around."

After some consideration, the General finally spoke. - "I know Mr. President. I'll bring them to justice."

Just like that, the communication ended: Immediately after, Lex heard the knock and Mercy came in.

"Mr. President, there's a call for you."

The call made him wonder who ever he/she could be. - "Who is it? Russian's President? Chinese's Prime Minister?"

"No Sir, Lana Lang..." - It surprised him to hear Lana wanted to talk with him but somehow he was suspicious about Lana's timing.

He knew her friendship with Clark had always been tempestuous especially when it involved stronger feelings than friendship. He and Lana continued their friendship, helping her and tried a deeper, stronger relationship beyond friendship but Lana always said she could only offer him a friendship, nothing more.

"I'll take it." - Mercy left the room and his desk's phone transmitted the incoming call. Reluctantly he grabbed it. - "Lana, it's good to hear your voice again."

"Lex..." - He noticed how tense her voice was: clearly something was troubling her.

"I'm a little busy right now but we can talk later; I'm sure we've got a lot to catch up and..."

"Did you order the launch of the nukes, Lex?" - Her question caught him off guard, wondering how she knew about the attack.

"I'm hearing CNN reporting unconfirmed reports of a nuclear strike somewhere in the North Pole." – She ended all his doubts and quickly the tension escalated.

"Yes it's true." - He thought denying the rumors but he knew sooner or later, someone would confirm the news.

"What are you trying to prove, Lex?"

Her question was the bottom line of his entire endeavor. - "I'm proving to everyone how an alien race has come to destroy us, to rule us. Did you remember when I found you years ago at the middle of the road, in shock?"

She remembered like if it was yesterday: she had witnessed an atrocious attack where everyone was killed and she was the only survivor. - "How can I forget?!"

"You saw the evidence I showed..."

She interrupted him, knowing exactly where the conversation was heading to. - "Superman has done nothing but to help people, to fight crime and corruption. You just can't link him to whatever came out of that ship."

"I can and I did." – Lex pointed out, bluntly.

"You're starting World War III just to prove a point."

He thought about her sudden call, her arguments and then he put it all together. - "You know who he is..."

Her silence confirmed his suspicion. - "You lived most of your life with an alien surrounding your doorsteps..."

"The same alien who saved your life in that car accident 15 years ago." – She tried to make a point, trying to make Lex see the wrong of his doings but clearly there was the turning point for Lex was long gone.

"So you stand at his side. I'll never forget this act of betrayal." - He disconnected the call abruptly: the wound she made in his heart was deeper than he thought. Lex gained another reason to kill his enemy.

He woke up, lay down on the white field and look to his front: kilometers ahead of him, his heritage was gone.

Still slightly dizzy, he got up and slowly he walked towards the fortress but soon he stopped: feeling more capable, he leaped and floated, rising until he was able to see the destruction the bombs had done. Whatever was above the surface, it was wiped out but the lower floors of the Fortress were still although were severely damaged. It didn't matter: the radiation mixed with the kryptonite made impossible for anyone to get close, even him.

He had lost his heritage, the last memory of his home world.

He was always careful: always looking over the shoulder, seeking any suspicious movements but he had a single gold: revenge. It was revenge against the Man of Steel and revenge against the man who made him like he was right then.

He came inside a coffee shop and everyone had their attention to the TV. Curious, he also looked at the TV.

"..._For now the White House hasn't confirmed if there was a nuclear strike. However there have been reports of bright greenish tones in far horizon of population in far regions of Greenland. Speculation of President's Luthor ordering the strike because of Superman who's currently whereabouts is unknown...wait this is just in our newsroom: Superman has just been seen in Houston, Texas, creating havoc in downtown. We expect at any minute live footage..."_

The people around him were shocked, worried about their future but he was less than worried: in fact, he was thrilled about finally finding him. John Corben had a destination where could finally have his vengeance: Houston, Texas.

"Time for round two." - He stepped back and jumped as high as he could to arrive at his destination the fastest he could.

The waiting was killing her: neither Clark nor Lana had given any news and soon everyone became more unease with the unconfirmed news broadcast on TV about a nuclear strike somewhere in the North.

"Jonathan..." - Jonathan looked at his troubled wife and like her, he was lost, unaware of what to do. The only thing he could do was holding his wife and hold on to the hope his son was stronger than all the warfare.

On the other hand, Lois looked like a beast inside a cage, impatiently, walking around the room: knowing she had to do something, she grabbed her cell phone and called Jimmy.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy could barely believe he was hearing Lois's voice. - "Lois? Thank God! Are you ok?"

"I wish I was...Have you heard the news?"

"Yeah..." - the sadness and the uneasiness filled his voice.

"Can you somehow confirm it?"

"I'll try..." - her cell phone began ringing: incoming call from Lana.

"Jimmy I have to go. I'm glad you're ok." - Immediately she took Lana's call.

"Lana? Please tell me something good." - Lana didn't know how to tell Lois the bad news, confronted with Lois's desperate hope but her silence made Lois understood something was wrong.

"Lana..."

It took a few seconds for Lana to reply. - "I've just talk to Lex and it was helpless. I don't know if you heard the news but Lex has confirmed me a nuclear attack. I'm sorry. Lois?" - The silence was nothing else than the shock of the revelation: perhaps for the first time Lois realized it was no longer just a witch hunt, it had become a war.

"Lois? He knows..."

"Thanks..." - Lois hung up and looked at the Kent couple who immediately understood the situation: Martha hugged Jonathan, squeezing him as strong as she could. - "Jonathan..."

"We've got to have faith, Martha, faith in our boy..." - He said it to give Martha some hope but also to Lois to whom he looked.

"I have to go." - She got up, grabbed her jacket and walked to exit, knowing that staying in the farm wouldn't help resolving the situation.

"Where are you going?" - Martha asked worried.

"I'm heading back to Metropolis: I've to find something to bring Luthor down, anything, even a parking ticket. I'll try to give some news any soon as I can."

"Good luck." - Jonathan declared.

"Thanks, we all need it." - She opened the front door and saw three black vans coming to the front. She looked at the Kents. - "Are you expecting any visits?"

The Kent couple looked at each other. - "No" - Both replied flatly.

The "déjà vu" feeling hit her and immediately she entered the house and closed the door. - "We're coming for us!"

Jonathan walked to the window where he saw the vans parking in front of his house. - "She's right. Let's get out by the back door." - Quickly they ran to the backdoor and exited the house: they ran as fast as they could, running across the farm but rapidly they stopped, resting for a few seconds as they entered. The Kent vitality was then just a shadow of what it was years ago.

"We've got keep running." - Lois's affirmation was both encouraging and warning.

"You go: we're just slowing you." - Jonathan understood Lois's affirmation but he didn't want to feel responsible for her possible capture.

"I'm not leaving you behind." – She stated flatly.

Jonathan put his hands on Lois's shoulders. - "Lois, me and my wife are no longer young people: I've got heart problems and if you stay with us, you're going to get caught with us. You're more useful if you find something about Luthor's personal vendetta."

The logic dictated she would follow Jonathan's advice however deep in her heart, she couldn't leave them behind. Martha noticed Lois's hesitation. - "Do it for us, do it for our boy."

Martha's words were decisive for her decision: no words were spoken, just a simple nod. She turned around and ran as she fast as she could, hating herself for leaving them behind but hating even more Lex into forcing her to make such decision.

Running for a half a hour, she finally stopped for a quick rest. While resting, she thought about everything and decided to continue her investigation where it was left: the Metropolis General Hospital, the morgue section but for that, she had to contact the only person she could trust, Jimmy Olsen.

Walking for hours, she arrived at Smallville and waited for the next morning to catch a bus to Metropolis: always looking around to see any suspicious movements but fortunately or rather unable, she didn't detect anything suspicious.

After a three hour trip she arrived at Metropolis and headed straight to the first cyber coffee shop she could find: If Lex knew the truth about Clark Kent/Superman then everyone close to him would be in danger. Grabbing the first available computer and went to a forum of the Internet dedicated to Superman where she and Jimmy were users. She sent him a personal message...

_"Up, Up and Away."_

...and waited for a reply. Phone calls or personal visits without any confirmation of being watched were out of the question. Using the Internet was the least risky situation. Hours passed and both coffee and patience were disappearing until she finally got a reply.

_"The never-ending battle continues." _

The message crushed her hopes: Jimmy had been caught and she was all alone. Immediately she terminated the connection and left the coffee shop but she stopped as she stepped out of it. Momentarily she was lost, unaware of what to do: the world was falling apart like a fragile castle of cards being easily destroyed by the wind.

Nevertheless, Time was a luxury she couldn't afford to: She took the nearest taxicab and headed to Perry White's house and while heading there she called to his cell phone but he never answered her calls, leading always to voice mail. She gave Perry the benefit of the doubt and hoped he was either sleeping like a rock or he was too drunk in some random bar and answer her call.

Finally, she arrived at Perry's place, paid the taxi and headed to Perry's apartment: she took the stairs until she was finally at apartment's door. She pressed the door bell hoping for Perry to open the door. Finally, after a few seconds the door opened but Perry wasn't who opened the door. Once she saw who was, she stepped back, disappointed almost feeling defeated.

"Dad…"

To be continued…


End file.
